Discovery of the evolutionary history of flowering plants

Flowering plants, from corn, wheat, rice and potatoes to maples, oaks, apple trees and cherry trees. and even corpse flowers and voodoo lilies, are the foundation of ecosystems. Earth's climate and is necessary for humanity.

Blooming cherry blossoms attract bees to pollinate. (Source: Reuters).

The new research published on April 24 in the journal Nature is based on genomic data from 9,506 species, as well as examination of 200 fossils, providing the deepest understanding to date of the evolutionary history of plants. flowering plants, called angiosperms - the largest and most diverse group of plants. The study details how angiosperms emerged and became dominant during the age of the dinosaurs and how they changed over time.

Scientists have discovered a new tree of life for angiosperms, covering 15 times more flowering plant species - nearly 60% of them - than the last comparable study.

Botanist William Baker of the Royal Botanic Gardens Kew (RBG Kew) in London, senior author of the study, said: 'It's a huge step forward in our understanding of evolution. plants'.

Gladiolus flowers in a garden in Hyderabad, South India. (Source: Reuters).

Angiosperms, plants that produce flowers and produce seeds in fruits, include about 330,000 species and account for about 80% of all plants in the world. They include all major food crops, grasses, most broad-leaved plants, and most aquatic plants. Their closest relatives are the gymnosperms, a group that preceded them on Earth, including conifers and several others, with more than 1,000 species.

The study identified two diversification pulses among angiosperms. The first occurred around 150-140 million years ago at the dawn of their existence during the Mesozoic era, with 80% of angiosperm lineages arising during that time. The next occurred about 100 million years later during the Cenozoic Era, after the demise of the dinosaurs and the rise of mammals, amid falling global temperatures.

Giant Tecolote Ranunculus flower at Flower Field in Carlsbad, California, USA. (Source: Reuters).

'Angiosperms have many structural adaptations that give them advantages over gymnosperms, but chief among them are traits that contribute to successful reproduction,' Mr Baker said .

Gymnosperms and angiosperms both have seeds, but flowering plants have seeds attached to them to protect them from dehydration and help them thrive in a variety of environments, from the tropics to deserts. or Antarctica.

Angiosperms also evolved flowers, a structure that allows them to form relationships with animal pollinators, especially insects, while gymnosperms typically rely on wind for pollination. Angiosperms have developed a high diversity of fruit types, allowing efficient seed dispersal.

'With these innovations, angiosperms have become invincible,' Mr Baker said.

Sunflower field in Lopburi, Thailand. (Source: Reuters).

Flowering plants provide the majority of the calories humans consume from grains, fruits, and vegetables, which indirectly feed livestock. They also make people fascinated by the beauty of sunflower fields, bouquets of roses, bunches of lilies and pleasant fragrance.

Mr Baker said: 'They are the source of many medicines and hold potential solutions to global challenges such as climate change, biodiversity loss, human health, food security and recycled energy'.

This research could help scientists better understand disease and pest resistance in angiosperms and guide potential new medical applications, for example to fight malaria.

Mr Alexandre Zuntini, RBG Kew botanist and lead author of the study said: 'Combining the tree of life with extinction risk assessments for each lineage allows us to prioritize the conservation of lineages. tracked based on their uniqueness. This is extremely important for humanity, as these lineages may contain chemical compounds or even genes that may be useful for the survival of our species . "