The sexual deception of orchids - Anne Gaskett
569,778 Views
3,078 Questions Answered
TEDEd Animation
Let’s Begin…
Nearly 28,000 species of orchid grow all around the world, bearing every imaginable color, shape and pattern. There’s a cunning purpose behind these elaborate displays: many orchids trick insects into pollinating, sometimes even into having sex with them. How do they deploy these deceptive tactics? Anne Gaskett dives into the surprisingly complex ways orchids attract insects.
If sexual deception is negative for the pollinator, why don’t the pollinators (and then the orchids) go extinct? How might the orchid and pollinator change in response to each other?
Sign in to answer questionAbout TED-Ed Animations
TED-Ed Animations feature the words and ideas of educators brought to life by professional animators. Are you an educator or animator interested in creating a TED-Ed Animation? Nominate yourself here »
Meet The Creators
- Educator Anne Gaskett
- Director Mette Ilene Holmriis
- Narrator Bethany Cutmore-Scott
- Producer Ian Otto, The Animation Workshop
- Content Producer Gerta Xhelo
- Editorial Producer Alex Rosenthal
- Associate Producer Bethany Cutmore-Scott
- Associate Editorial Producer Elizabeth Cox
- Script Editor Emma Bryce
- Fact-Checker Francisco Diez
