Conifer study illustrates twists of evolution
Monday, April 27, 2015 - 10:00
in Biology & Nature
A new study offers not only a sweeping analysis of how pollination has evolved among conifers but also an illustration of how evolution—far from being a straight-ahead march of progress—sometimes allows for longstanding and advantageous functions to become irrevocably lost. Moreover, the authors show that the ongoing breakdown of the successful but ultimately fragile pollination mechanism may have led to a new diversity of traits and functions.