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Excerpt from scitechdaily.com
A new study has discovered that both ferns and flowering plants evolved nectaries simultaneously around 135 million years ago, suggesting a parallel evolution in their mutualistic relationships with ants, which has significant implications for understanding plant evolution and interspecies interactions. Credit: University of Tennessee, Knoxville
Researchers discovered that ferns, like flowering plants, evolved nectaries to attract ant bodyguards around 135 million years ago. This evolutionary adaptation occurred as ferns moved from the forest floor to tree canopies, demonstrating parallel evolutionary paths with flowering plants.
Collaborations between different research fields can result in surprising breakthroughs and discoveries. Similarly, collaborations between species can drive unexpected evolutionary developments that are mutually beneficial.
