Ancient fern revived after 60 million years

In the mountains of France discovered a unique fern. It is the "fruit of love" two genetically distant from other groups of plants. As shown by genetic analysis, such plants are not seen on the Earth for 60 million years. According to scientists, its appearance is as surprising as if the light appeared a hybrid of elephant and sea cow. Whatever it was, but this fern grows in the French Pyrenees. The appearance of such hybrids is impossible, because for such a long time between plant species accumulates genetic and other incompatibilities. Changing not only the appearance of the Northern forests. South the vegetation becomes different.





Revived after millions of years ferns. Photo Harry Roskam

Resource ScienceDaily notes the surprise of the scientists the Duke University in this extraordinary event. The findings of the University of California under the leadership of scientists Prayer and Carl Rothfels of the study will be published in the March issue of the journal American naturalist is.

Light green fern, growing in the wild in the Pyrenees, were transplanted into the nursery, where researchers took a sample of his DNA. To their surprise, it turned out that this fern was born as the result of crossing the ordinary golasecca (holomedica Linnaeus) and puternica brittle. These plants are genetically distant from each other and can grow in the same location in the Northern Hemisphere, do not give offspring, as their line had diverged 60 million years ago.

For most people both look like ferns, but researchers know this is a completely different group of plants.

This is not the first case of the revival of ancient forms of life. Previously, the researchers found three species of frogs, which began to produce the joint offspring after a break of 34 million years. There was also a hybrid sun fish, which became possible after a break of 40 million years.





Puternic brittle

The scientists explained that for most species of animals and plants is quite a few million years of life apart, to lose the ability to interbreed. Features of reproduction of ferns made possible the birth of the disappeared many millions of years ago plants. For pollination of most plants need birds, bees and other animals. And ferns for reproduction only requires water and wind.

Plants whose reproduction requires pollinators, quickly become incompatible, because the pollinators may be more sensitive to the shape, size, or other characteristics of the flower, which change over time. Ultimately, the fauna of the planet is changing, and the necessary pollinators after millions of years may simply no longer be on Earth.





Holocyclic common

The plants, which animals do not require pollinators, reproductive incompatibility (the main sign that a species has split into two) may develop much slower. This same reason can explain the fact that flowering plants ferns exceeds the number of types in thirty times. Although ferns and appeared on the planet much earlier.

The flora plays a huge role in the life of the planet. Some plants are known for their unusual properties, which is useful to know each person.

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Source: hi-news.ru