Navigation Links
New discovery suggests trees evolved camouflage defense against long extinct predator
Date:7/22/2009

Many animal species such as snakes, insects and fish have evolved camouflage defences to deter attack from their predators. However research published in New Phytologist has discovered that trees in New Zealand have evolved a similar defence to protect themselves from extinct giant birds, providing the first evidence of this strategy in plant life.

"Plants are attacked by a bewildering array of herbivores and in response they have evolved a variety of defences to deter predators such as thorns and noxious chemicals," said lead researcher Dr Kevin Burns from Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand. "In contrast animals often use colours to hide from predators or advertise defences, but until now there has been little evidence of colour based defences in plants."

Dr Burns' team studied the leaves of the Araliaceae tree (P. crassifolius) a heteroblastic species which is native to New Zealand. This species goes through several strange colour transitions during the process from germination to maturity and the reason for these changes is now thought to be a defence strategy from an extinct predator, the moa.

Before the arrival of humans New Zealand had no native land mammals, but was home to moa, giant flightless birds, closely related to the modern ostrich and the top herbivore predator in the food chain. However moa were hunted to extinction 750 years ago.

The Araliaceae tree has several defences which the team suggest are linked to the historic presence of moa. Seedlings produce small narrow leaves, which appear mottled to the human eye. Saplings meanwhile produce larger, more elongated leaves with thorn-like dentitions.

The mottled colours of seedling leaves are similar to the appearance of leaf litter, which would have made them difficult for a moa to distinguish. The unusual colouring may also reduce the probability of leaf outlines and help camouflage leaves against the sunlight-draped for
'/>"/>

Contact: Ben Norman
Lifesciencenews@wiley.com
44-124-377-0375
Wiley-Blackwell
Source:Eurekalert

0

GOOD

Page: 1 2

Related biology news :

1. Down Under dinosaur burrow discovery provides climate change clues
2. GUMC discovery highlights new direction for drug discovery
3. Discovery may provide new treatments for alcohol dependence
4. New nanoparticles could revolutionize therapeutic drug discovery
5. Discovery of a water snake that startles fish in a way that makes them flee into its jaws
6. New discovery suggests mammoths survived in Britain until 14,000 years ago
7. Discovery of the cells water gate may lead to new cancer drugs
8. Aussie and Kiwi researchers make double MS genetic discovery
9. Discovery raises new doubts about dinosaur-bird links
10. NAU discovery could help feed millions
11. Voyages of discovery or necessity?

Post Your Comments:
*Name:
*Comment:
*Email:
(Date:11/24/2009)...held secrets of the earth,s history locked in its ...y little information on the environments that have...years. Now, a team of researchers from nine instit...e of $10 million dollars by the National Science F... literally. These scientists will drill through th...
(Date:11/23/2009)...ociated strain of the deadly superbug MRSAan infec...ibioticsposes a far greater health threat than pre..., according to a study in the December issue of E...is easily picked up in fitness centers, schools, a...ll burden of MRSA within hospitals, the report fou...
(Date:11/23/2009)...ggests that a common oral bacterium may exacerbate...s et al, "Unique Lipids from a Common Human Bacter...of Enhancing Autoimmunity," appears in the Decembe... . , Multiple sclerosis (MS), a disease where th... affects nearly 1 in 700 people in the United Stat...
Breaking Biology News(10 mins):LSU gets to the bottom of things -- in Antarctica 2New study finds MRSA on the rise in hospital outpatients 2Factors from common human bacteria may trigger multiple sclerosis 2Retailers NGOs and Food and Beverage Industry Launch National Initiative to Help Reduce Obesity 58861 1Retailers NGOs and Food and Beverage Industry Launch National Initiative to Help Reduce Obesity 58861 2Retailers NGOs and Food and Beverage Industry Launch National Initiative to Help Reduce Obesity 58861 3Retailers NGOs and Food and Beverage Industry Launch National Initiative to Help Reduce Obesity 58861 4Transdel Pharmaceuticals to Host Conference Call and Webcast on Tuesday October 6 2009 to Announce Top Line Phase 3 Study Results for Lead Topical P 14353 1Transdel Pharmaceuticals to Host Conference Call and Webcast on Tuesday October 6 2009 to Announce Top Line Phase 3 Study Results for Lead Topical P 14353 2Transdel Pharmaceuticals to Host Conference Call and Webcast on Tuesday October 6 2009 to Announce Top Line Phase 3 Study Results for Lead Topical P 14353 3Regado Biosciences To Present at the 2009 Japan Biopharma Partnering Conference on October 6 2009 14348 1Regado Biosciences To Present at the 2009 Japan Biopharma Partnering Conference on October 6 2009 14348 2
...more than half of children with sore throat, excee...used nonrecommended antibiotics for 27 percent of ...according to a study in the November 9 issue of JA...ounts for 6 percent of visits by children to famil... to background information in the article. The mos...
...e have demonstrated that Langerhans cells in the s...stem to pathogens, instead dampen the skin,s react...potential to significantly alter understanding of ... as psoriasis, lupus and skin cancer. , Dendriti...emely efficient at alerting the immune system to t...
...iated with an increased risk of hypertension in wo...nsumption of sugared or diet colas, according to a...ately 50 million people in the United States have ...cording to background information in the article. ...eart disease, stroke, and congestive heart failure...
Other Biology News:Children overprescribed antibiotics for sore throat 2Langerhans cells regulate immune reactions in the skin 2No link found between caffeine intake and development of hypertension in women 2
(Date:11/24/2009)...,Ontario,Nov.24/PRNewswire-FirstCall/--DowAgroScie...landSeeds,adivisionofThompsonsLimitedofBlenheim,On...AgroSciences,currentseedsbusinessasthecompanyantic...dDowAgroSciencesHerbicideTolerantTraitTechnologyin...rfuture. ,, "Thisacquisitionbringstogethertwost...
(Date:11/24/2009)... Health care employment grew by 29,000 jobs in Oc...consistent growth during the U.S. recession. Howev...ble, and health systems are coming closer to havin...st administrators. , (Voc...ntinued growing in October despite the shedding of...
(Date:11/24/2009)...v.24/PRNewswire-FirstCall/--NeurogesX,Inc.(Nasdaq:...ngandcommercializingnovelpainmanagementtherapies,a...xecutiveOfficer,isscheduledtopresentatthe21stAnnua...1-2,2009atTheNewYorkPalaceHotelinNewYork,NewYork. ...Officer,willbeavailabletorespondtoquestionsduringt...
(Date:11/24/2009)...The FBI recently approved the Promega PowerPlex 16...n or generating DNA records for the National DNA I...I USA (PRWEB) -- The FBI recently approved the Pro...ratories participating in, or generating DNA recor... currently contains more than seven million profil...
Breaking Biology Technology:Dow AgroSciences Canada Announces Agreement to Acquire Hyland Seeds 2Dow AgroSciences Canada Announces Agreement to Acquire Hyland Seeds 3The MedZilla Report for October 2009 - Health Care Employment Grows Again in October Even As Clinics, Specialty Centers Close 2The MedZilla Report for October 2009 - Health Care Employment Grows Again in October Even As Clinics, Specialty Centers Close 3The MedZilla Report for October 2009 - Health Care Employment Grows Again in October Even As Clinics, Specialty Centers Close 4NeurogesX to Present at Piper Jaffray Health Care Conference 2NeurogesX to Present at Piper Jaffray Health Care Conference 3NDIS Approval of Promega PowerPlex Kit Clears Path for More DNA Profiles to be Added to U.S. Database 2
...edical Systems, Growing Network of Medical Technol...Year of Profitability in 2007., PLEASANTON, Calif...an office in Russia to open a distribution network...lted in the registration of DMS,s,InNovaSound USB ... medical,providers in Russia., (Logo: http://www...
..., Calif., May 16 Immunosyn,Corporation (OTC Bulle...tained exclusive worldwide marketing, sales and di... from its affiliate Argyll Biotechnologies,LLC, ha...ch 31, 2008., For the quarter ended March 31, 200... administrative expenses and $13,393.00 in interes...
..., Calif., May 16 InterMune, Inc.,(Nasdaq: ITMN )...esident and,Chief Financial Officer of InterMune, ...re Conference in New York on May 22, 2008 at 1:30 ...presentation, investors and other,interested parti...terMune,s,corporate website at http://www.intermu...
Other Biology Technology:Direct Medical Systems Reaches Profitability in 2-1/2 Years, as a Result of Sales of the World's Smallest and Lightest Ultrasound System, the InNovaSound USB Ultrasound. 2Immunosyn Corporation Files 10-Q 2Immunosyn Corporation Files 10-Q 3
Distillation Hood from Terra Universal, Inc.
Endotoxin Gel formation Assay Kit, E-TOXATE from Sigma-Aldrich
...l safety labs (BSL) and pharmaceutical application... easy sterilization. Panels are precision-joined t...pe down and disinfect. One-inch radius corners sim...eates strong, rigid surface without external braci...
Stainless Steel Glove Boxes from Terra Universal, Inc.
Biology Products: