Tag

Angiosperms

All articles tagged with #angiosperms

science1 day ago•50 min saved

EDGE Scores Spotlight a Hidden Crisis in Earth's Flowering Plants

An international team using EDGE scores (evolutionary distinctiveness and global endangerment) finds that about 21.2% of angiosperm evolutionary history is at risk of extinction, and roughly 3% of known flowering plant species are both evolutionarily unique and globally endangered (9,945 of 335,497), including the vanilla orchid and the jellyfish tree. The authors warn loss of these lineages could erase future medicines and ecological functions, and call for a global conservation shift to protect these irreplaceable species.

via Yahoo|

#angiosperms #biodiversity #conservation

science1 day ago•5 min saved

EDGE scores spotlight a hidden plant extinction crisis

A Science study applies EDGE scores to flowering plants (angiosperms) and finds that 21.2% of their evolutionary history is at risk of extinction, with 9,945 of 335,497 known species (about 3%) being both evolutionarily unique and globally endangered. The findings highlight overlooked species and urge targeted conservation to safeguard biodiversity and potential future benefits like medicines and crops.

via ScienceAlert|

#angiosperms #biodiversity #conservation

science2 months ago•90 min saved

Nine genome-doubling waves helped flowering plants weather Earth's crises

A Cell study of 470 flowering-plant genomes uncovered 132 independent whole-genome duplication events over the last 150 million years, organized into at least nine bursts that line up with major environmental upheavals such as global cooling/warming and mass extinctions. These genome doublings produce polyploids, often called hopeful monsters, which can enhance survival under stress despite cellular and fertility costs. The findings imply that repeated genome duplications helped flowering plants endure Earth’s climatic and ecological crises and may influence how crops respond to climate change, though future bursts would take millions of years to emerge.

via Live Science|

#angiosperms #environmental-upheaval #plant-evolution

science2 years ago•4 min saved

"The Indestructible Ancient Life-Form That Could Outlive Humanity"

Angiosperms, the flowering plants, have proven to be remarkably resilient over the last 140-240 million years, surviving the mass extinction event that wiped out the dinosaurs. While many angiosperm species did disappear during the Cretaceous-Paleogene mass extinction (K-Pg), the lineages to which they belonged carried on undisturbed, creating the diverse life on Earth that we know today. This resilience may be attributed to their ability to adapt, evolve new mechanisms for seed dispersal and pollination, and duplicate their entire genome, allowing for greater diversity. However, a worrying number of angiosperm species are currently threatened with extinction, and their demise could have significant consequences for life on Earth.

via ScienceAlert|

#ancient-life-form #angiosperms #extinction

science3 years ago•2 min saved

"Groundbreaking Research Debunks Long-Held Theory on Symmetry in Flowers"

A new study challenges the long-held belief that bilateral floral symmetry enhances pollination accuracy. The study found that flower orientation, particularly horizontal presentation, significantly stabilizes bee entry angles, rather than symmetry. The research suggests that the observed stabilization of animal flower entry may be attributed to the accompanied horizontal orientation, prompting a reevaluation of the adaptive significance of bilaterally symmetrical flowers in angiosperms.

via SciTechDaily|

#angiosperms #bilateral-symmetry #floral-symmetry