Romantic poetry and developmental biology have something in common: Goethe. One of botany’s lesser known pioneers, Goethe actually wrote a visionary essay about plants in 1790, which can be summed up in his motto, “All is leaf.” Scientists who are studying the evolution of flowers today hear the echoes of his words. To find out more, check out my lead story in the Science Times section of the New York Times today.
And for more information, check out these recent reviews–
Reconstructing the ancestral angiosperm flower and its initial specializations
The meaning of Darwin’s ‘abominable mystery’
Reconstructing the ancestral female gametophyte of angiosperms: Insights from Amborella and other ancient lineages of flowering plantsReconstructing the ancestral female gametophyte of angiosperms: Insights from Amborella and other ancient lineages of flowering plantsReconstructing the ancestral female gametophyte of angiosperms: Insights from Amborella and other ancient lineages of flowering plants
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Environment
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