Bees and the pollination bargain

Bees evolve from predatory apoid wasps that switch to collecting pollen for their young, and in doing so become the most important pollinators on Earth. The oldest known bee, Melittosphex, is preserved in Burmese amber around 100 million years ago with branched body hairs suited to carrying pollen. The arrangement is a genuine bargain rather than exploitation: the plant pays in nectar and surplus pollen and buys targeted delivery to its own species, which is far more efficient than releasing pollen to the wind.