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Rise of flowering plants and decline of conifers

11.02.20 | Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences

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A colony of Araucaria columnaris, a conifer endemic to New Caledonia occurring along sea coasts.
A colony of Araucaria columnaris, a conifer endemic to New Caledonia occurring along sea coasts. Credit: Image credit: Fabien L. Condamine.

A study examining time-calibrated phylogenies and fossil records finds that the decline of conifers that was initiated in the Cretaceous Period is best explained by the rise of flowering plants and not by global climatic changes alone and is manifest in increased extinction rates for conifers since the Cretaceous; the results reveal the impact of competition between two major branches of the Tree of Life during a period of climate change, according to the authors.

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Article #20-05571: "The rise of angiosperms pushed conifers to decline during global cooling," by Fabien L. Condamine, Daniele Silvestro, Eva B. Koppelhus, and Alexandre Antonelli.

MEDIA CONTACT: Fabien L. Condamine, French National Centre for Scientific Research, Montpellier, FRANCE; e-mail: fabien.condamine@gmail.com

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences

Additional Media

Callitris pancheri is a cypress conifer endemic to New Caledonia, where it occurs in small, scattered populations along rivers
Callitris pancheri is a cypress conifer endemic to New Caledonia, where it occurs in small, scattered populations along rivers Credit: Image credit: Fabien L. Condamine.

Keywords

Angiosperms Climate Change Fossil Records

Article Information

Journal
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences

Contact Information

Fabien L. Condamine
fabien.condamine@gmail.com

How to Cite This Article

APA:
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. (2020, November 2). Rise of flowering plants and decline of conifers. Brightsurf News. https://www.brightsurf.com/news/8J4P34RL/rise-of-flowering-plants-and-decline-of-conifers.html
MLA:
"Rise of flowering plants and decline of conifers." Brightsurf News, Nov. 2 2020, https://www.brightsurf.com/news/8J4P34RL/rise-of-flowering-plants-and-decline-of-conifers.html.