Canadian philosopher Matshona Dhliwayo famously said, “If you love a rose, you must love its thorns.”
Not only do roses have these pungent properties, but so do other flowers, such as spider flowers, and crop plants such as tomatoes, eggplants, barley and rice.
However, what gives them these sharp edges?
The origins of these differences can be traced back to a single ancient gene family, according to a new study published on Thursday Science newspaper.
Let’s take a look.
Roses and thorns
Contrary to popular belief, roses do not have thorns.
Instead, they have prickles that appear on the skin of the plant similar to hair growth.
Prickles are an amazing evolutionary phenomenon.
They have been around since the appearance of ferns and related species, some of which had prickles on their stems, at least 400 million years ago, according to New York Times. They have now gone through 28 different evolutionary cycles.
Some roses have prickles on their stems, while other plants have prickles on their leaves or fruit.
Pricks originally appeared six million years ago in the genus Solanum, which is among some of the most diverse types of crops such as potatoes, tomatoes and eggplants.
Now, it includes more than a thousand species that can be found all over the world. About 400 of them are commonly known as “spiny solanum”.
To follow CNNconvergent evolution is the process by which species adapt to certain environmental needs.
An example of this is when a common feature, such as prickles, appears separately in different genera and species.
According to the report, Lippman said wings are another example of a feature that has evolved in common among many species of birds and other creatures such as bats and even some species of squirrels. shaped like wings.
The study also stated that spines and spines are an advanced defense against herbivores, or herbivores. They can also help with growth, plant competition, and water conservation.
The gene responsible for prickles
According to the study authors, the prickles pattern has been turned on and off in many animals for millions of years by an ancient gene family called Lonely Guy, or LOG.
Lippman says that genes related to LOG can be identified in all plants, even mosses, which are believed to be the ancestors of dry plants.
The genes are responsible for producing the hormone cytokinin, which is essential for many basic plant cell processes, such as cell division and expansion, which ultimately affect plant growth.
“It’s not like there was a single ancestor that had prickles, and after that it evolved over 400 million years from all the other descendants. , then they disappear immediately. In fact, what it looks like is that they seem to be readily available in different lines. So, the question is, how often does the theory of evolution not only observe the trait, but also the genes that influence that trait?” Lippman said, following CNN.
He added, “Our study is, I think, probably the first to show the power of those tools (genes and gene sequences) to play a major role in evolution.” ask this very old question about the evolution of plants or animals.
Ways to get rid of prickles
There are varieties of roses today that do not have spikes because, before this discovery, one way to remove prickles from plants was to try to cross the plant with another type that was naturally lost the prickles, according to Lippman.
Removing the prick can make harvesting easier and open the door to lesser-known foods.
Berries known as the “desert dried bag,” which is native to Australia and grows on prickly bushes, is another example given by the authors, according to the report.
According to Lippman, removing the prickles will make growing the fruit easier and more similar to common grocery store berries like blueberries and strawberries.
“It’s really about being more knowledgeable…and understanding how important the changes were to give us the food we’re eating at the rate we’re eating, and knowing that there’s and more possibilities out there. The more we understand under the hood, the more we will have the opportunity to change the system, or the engine, if you like, to make it work even better,” he said. Lippmann.
One way to get rid of the prickles, according to Tyler Coverdale, an assistant professor of biological sciences at the University of Notre Dame who was not part of the new study, is using genome-editing techniques like CRISPR .
This method is used by scientists who use it to modify DNA in living things.
He said CNN that targeted genetic modification can easily produce a large variety and has minimal effects on plant growth.
With feedback from organizations
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