Articles tagged with Land Plants
Researchers shed light on moths & butterflies' evolution, conservation needs, and diverse feeding habits. Discoveries suggest that these insects obtained plant-digesting abilities from fungi, while mandibled moths were once more diverse but largely extinct.
Researchers at Kobe University found that liverwort's hair-like rhizoids take in and transport phosphorus to its tissues, contrary to initial assumptions. This discovery sheds light on the evolution of nutrient acquisition mechanisms in simple land plants like mosses and liverworts.
Rice University researchers found that strawberry guava can prevent natural forest generation in areas of Ranomafana National Park, even decades after deforestation has ended. The invasive plant changes the forest by reducing soil nutrients and altering insect populations, preventing native species recovery.
Researchers found that the green-flowered Aeschynanthus acuminatus evolved on the mainland, not in Taiwan, and adapted to shorter-beaked birds. This contradicts the Grant-Stebbins model of plant evolution, which predicted the species would evolve in Taiwan with new pollinators.
Researchers compared seedling germination, growth and nutrient uptake in pure food waste substrate, commercial potting mix and blends with varying ratios. Mixtures with less than 50% food waste compost produced better results.
A newly discovered Philippine pitcher plant, Nepenthes megastoma, is already at risk of extinction due to severe weather conditions and human encroachment. The species has limited population and is threatened by poaching, deforestation, and droughts.
Researchers discovered that plants rapidly activate a coordinated immune response during drought recovery, prioritizing immunity over growth. This finding highlights the importance of studying the post-drought period and points to new strategies for engineering crops that can rebound more effectively after environmental stress.
A team of researchers at the University of Toronto has identified a protein, Shikimate kinase-like 1 (SKL1), that enables land plants to convert light into energy through photosynthesis. This discovery holds promise for improved herbicides and increased efficiency of photosynthesis in food crops.
The PteridoPortal is an online repository of fern and lycophyte information, allowing researchers to access digitized specimens from 35 herbarium collections. This project has significantly impacted biodiversity research, enabling scientists to inventory species in Colombia and other countries.
Researchers from the University of Waterloo have developed a method to restore tens of thousands of oil and gas exploration sites in western Canada using native moss. The technique involves transplanting moss onto decommissioned well pads, effectively recreating peatlands and supporting ecosystem development.
A research team from Göttingen University has compared algae and plants that span 600 million years of independent evolution, identifying a shared stress response network. This comprehensive dataset can be further explored for its physiological impact across plant diversity.
Research on hornwort genomes uncovers the secrets of plant evolution, revealing stable autosomes despite deep evolutionary history. The study also identifies dynamic accessory chromosomes and potential sex chromosomes, providing insights into plant reproductive strategies and adaptation to environmental challenges.
Scientists at La Brea Tar Pits have identified a mysterious fossil seed, unlocking key findings on past environmental changes and megafaunal extinction. The discovery highlights the vulnerability of junipers to modern climate change and informs conservation efforts.
Researchers found that a regulatory level change enabled C4 plants to photosynthesize more efficiently. By studying this shift, they believe it could be applied to make C3 crops like rice and wheat more resilient to climate change.
A Dartmouth-led study reveals the fundamental genetic pathways and biological mechanisms behind the corpse flower's heat production and odorous chemicals. The researchers identify a new component of the corpse flower's odor, an organic chemical called putrescine, which is released when the plant blooms.
A new family tree of Solanum plants clarifies the evolution of diverse fruits, showing that size and color are linked and not driven by fruit-eating animals. The study provides insight into breeding agriculturally important plants with desirable traits.
A new study by RIKEN CSRS shows that biomass from purple photosynthetic marine bacterium Rhodovulum sulfidophilum is an excellent nitrogen fertilizer, effective as inorganic synthetic fertilizers but with lower environmental side effects. The biomass boosts plant growth without altering soil pH or salinity.
Research in three Swedish fjords shows that organic carbon is effectively trapped, regardless of oxygen levels. The study highlights the importance of sediments in storing carbon, with up to 18 megatonnes buried annually, representing 11% of global ocean carbon capture.
Researchers have identified an ancient protein that partners with a modern plant enzyme to synthesize lignin, a key component of plant cell walls. This discovery provides insights into the evolution of plant protective mechanisms and their potential industrial applications.
Researchers have determined the molecular level function of free-forming structures in plant cells that help sense light and temperature, enabling plants to distinguish a range of different light intensities. The formation of these organelles is not random but is linked to specific locations within the cell, particularly near centromeres.
Researchers have discovered the gene responsible for producing a unique type of chlorophyll in marine algae. This breakthrough could lead to improved crop yields on less land, making it a key step towards achieving a more sustainable food supply. The study also demonstrated that a land plant can produce this specific type of chlorophyll.
A recent study by Tokyo University of Science researchers has uncovered the mechanisms by which plants regulate the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS). The findings, published in Physiologia Plantarum, reveal that ROS-generating enzymes are activated through two conserved mechanisms involving calcium ions and phosphorylation, ...
A study published in Current Biology reveals that complex green organisms, including land plants and algae, evolved multicellularity almost a billion years ago. Researchers used gene sequencing data to pinpoint the emergence of this trait in filamentous algal lineages.
Researchers found that ROP proteins evolved during the transition from unicellular to multicellular plant life. ROP proteins are highly conserved between land plants and streptophyte algae, excluding certain species. The study suggests that ROP signaling may have contributed to the evolution of multicellularity in plants.
A new study published in Conservation Physiology identifies the critical limits of plant function under stress, enabling more effective conservation strategies. By understanding these limits, conservationists can identify vulnerable species and allocate resources more wisely.
A new study has uncovered that plants evolved gradually over time, with episodic bursts of innovation to overcome environmental challenges. The research found that changes in plant anatomy occurred in association with events where the entire cellular genetic make-up was doubled, likely due to errors in genome-copying.
A research team from the University of Göttingen investigated the molecular networks of a single-celled alga to understand plant terrestrialization. They identified 'hub genes' that play a central role in coordinating gene expression, revealing insights into long-term evolutionary patterns.
The rare moss Takakia has developed unique adaptations to survive frost, high UV radiation, and extreme altitudes. Climate change is altering its natural habitat, posing a threat to this ancient species.
A lack of measurement of plant traits across the Global South poses a threat to understanding and protecting tropical forests from climate change. By integrating regional and global data, researchers aim to fill the knowledge gap and create open-source resources for documenting biodiversity.
Researchers discovered a TIR1/AFB-independent auxin signaling mechanism in Klebsormidium nitens, a primitive alga. They identified KnRAV as a key transcription factor that activates auxin-inducible genes and binds to promoter sequences.
Researchers found that plants allocate a significant amount of carbon to mycorrhizal fungi, equivalent to roughly one-third of carbon emitted yearly by fossil fuels. This discovery highlights the importance of understanding fungal networks in soil ecosystems and their role in mitigating climate change.
Research reveals that prescribed burns create favorable conditions for stinknet to spread, outcompeting native plants and reducing soil health. Targeted treatments after burns can help mitigate this issue.
A plant ecologist proposes a multi-faceted approach to preventing all future land plant extinctions. Training more plant experts and creating an online 'metaherbarium' with digitized records of species are key components, alongside building microreserves and increasing funding.
Researchers used mercury isotope data to push back the timeline of vascular plant colonization, finding extensive land colonization by early Silurian (~444 Ma). This discovery links terrestrial organism expansion to co-evolution of earth systems, particularly atmosphere-ocean-weathering processes.
Researchers have made significant discoveries about DELLA proteins, a family of 'promiscuous' proteins that regulate various plant functions. The study reveals complex interactions between DELLA proteins and transcription factors, which could lead to designing new crops with improved resilience and yields.
Researchers have identified three sets of genes involved in building the fake fly structure on the daisy's petals, which are brought together in a new way to deceive male flies. The plant's use of existing genes for iron movement, root hair growth, and flower control gives it an evolutionary advantage.
A new UC Riverside-led study reveals that drought-tolerant trees in urban areas use significantly more water than their natural counterparts. The research found that even 'drought-tolerant' species like eucalyptus and ficus increase their water intake when irrigated.
A Newcastle University study has developed a machine learning tool that can predict the performance properties of land plant Rubisco proteins with high accuracy. This prediction will enable researchers to identify and engineer 'supercharged' Rubisco proteins that can increase atmospheric CO2 uptake and store in crops such as wheat.
A new genus and species of algae called Protocodium sinense has been discovered in China, providing new insight into the early diversification of the plant kingdom. The fossils are remarkably modern-looking and suggest that green algae were already established in shallow waters as carbon dioxide recyclers and oxygen producers before th...
Land plants evolved about 430 million years ago, transforming river systems and creating thicker soils. The plants' roots helped produce colossal amounts of mud, stabilizing river channels and slowing down sediment transfer to the oceans.
A new study shows that community science activities can produce high-quality taxonomic data sets, empowering community scientists and supporting biodiversity discovery. Thousands of microscopic liverwort leaves were measured by community scientists over two years, with surprising accuracy.
Researchers discover that type 1 TPCs encode SV channels in plant vacuoles, while type 2 TPCs likely encode distinct ion channels. This study provides functional and evolutionary insights into the TPC family in plants, shedding light on their role in plant growth and defence mechanisms.
A team of scientists from the University of East Anglia has developed a new method to estimate regional fossil fuel CO2 emissions more accurately and in near real-time. Using atmospheric measurements of O2 and CO2, they can detect changes in emissions with higher frequency and provide valuable insights for climate change policies.
Researchers found that hundreds of bacteria genes were integrated into ancient plants, granting them desirable traits for land colonization. The study suggests horizontal gene transfer played a significant role in land-plant evolution, allowing plants to adapt rapidly to new environments.
Researchers found that forest trees with a mix of both ectomycorrhiza and arbuscular mycorrhiza had the greatest tree diversity, contradicting previous beliefs. This discovery highlights the importance of considering the coexistence of different mycorrhizal strategies in promoting plant biodiversity.
Researchers analyzed the largest genomic dataset of plants, revealing how early traits like stomata and roots evolved. The study sheds light on the genetic basis of plant evolution, highlighting the role of new and old genes in adapting to land colonization.
A research team from the University of Göttingen found that vanilla agroforestry systems have advantages for both humans and nature, particularly when planted on fallow land. However, price fluctuations pose a challenge to sustainable cultivation.
Researchers at NTNU identified a molecular component, THE1, required for modulating cell wall stiffness and abscisic acid production in plants. This finding provides novel insights into plant adaptation to drought and changing environments, with potential benefits for agriculture.
Researchers confirm that Chevalier barley came from a single plant, analyzing seed samples older than 150 years. The study reveals how the single plant's genetic signature was preserved and used to create modern malting barley varieties.
A study published in Proceedings of the Royal Society B reveals that a rare alga, Chlorokybus, contains at least five distinct species previously thought to be a single entity. Genetic analysis confirmed these findings, shedding new light on the biodiversity and evolutionary pathways of this key algal group.
Plant biologists at Washington University in St. Louis have developed the first artificial scaffolds that can support individual plant cells, mimicking the properties of plant cell walls. The scaffolds demonstrate promising results for studying plant cell adhesion and growth.
A team of researchers discovered that KNOX and BELL transcription factors evolved to activate zygotes in plants, later shifting their role to maintain organ development in land plants. The study used the liverwort Marchantia polymorpha as a model organism.
Land plants underwent major diversification in two dramatic bursts, driven by the development of seeds and flowering plants. The second burst was more dramatic, giving rise to intricate reproductive structures like those found in passionflowers.
Scientists have discovered that ferns can actively close their stomata in response to low humidity or the hormone ABA, similar to flowering plants. This finding confirms that the earliest land plants were able to control water loss through stomata, providing valuable insights into plant evolution and climate change adaptation.
Researchers reconstructed the oldest known form of roots in a 407-million-year-old plant fossil, revealing a complex branching system that differed from modern plants. This discovery provides insight into the evolution of early land plants and their impact on the environment.
A new study reconciles the molecular clock with the fossil record of plants by linking older spore-like microfossils to younger plant spores derived from charophyte algae, revealing the evolutionary assembly of the plant regulatory and developmental genome.
A study published in Nature Plants reveals a comprehensive atlas of gene expression data from ten different species of land plants. The analysis identified novel and missing components involved in the formation of sex organs and cells, showing that many groups of genes emerged through the repurpose of existing genetic material. The tea...
A new study published in Nature found that the arrival of plants on land about 400 million years ago may have altered the Earth's natural climate regulation. The researchers discovered a shift in the global formation of clay, which led to reduced carbon dioxide levels and a cooler planet.
Researchers demonstrated a plant-fungus alliance played a crucial role in the origin of terrestrial vegetation. By studying a bryophyte, they found a lipid transfer mechanism similar to that in vascular plants, confirming their hypothesis.
A new probe set has been developed to reconstruct the 470-million-year history of flagellate land plants, including ferns and lycophytes. The probes target variable loci in nuclear DNA, providing a unique perspective on plant evolution and resolving deep phylogenetic relationships.