News Animals

Alpine bee tongues shorten as climate warms

Evolutionary change may disrupt pollinators’ match with deep flowers

alpine bee feeding on flower

PARTNERSHIP STRAIN  A major high-altitude pollinator species, the bumblebee Bombus balteatus is shifting toward having shorter tongues — not good news for deep-throated specialized flowers.

Christine Carson

By Susan Milius

- More than 2 years ago

As climate change has warmed the heights of the Rocky Mountains, the anatomy of some specialized bees has changed too, weakening their ancient partnerships with certain alpine flowers.