Reproductive innovations and pulsed rise in plant complexity

Morphological complexity is a notable feature of multicellular life, although whether it evolves gradually or in early bursts is unclear. Vascular plant reproductive structures, such as flowers, are familiar examples of complex morphology. In this study, we use a simple approach based on the number...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inScience (American Association for the Advancement of Science) Vol. 373; no. 6561; pp. 1368 - 1372
Main Authors Leslie, Andrew B, Simpson, Carl, Mander, Luke
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published United States The American Association for the Advancement of Science 17.09.2021
Subjects
Biological Evolution
Complexity
Cretaceous
Cycadopsida - anatomy & histology
Cycadopsida - genetics
Cycadopsida - growth & development
Devonian
Embryophyta - anatomy & histology
Embryophyta - growth & development
Embryophyta - physiology
Evolution
Flowering
Flowers
Flowers & plants
Flowers - anatomy & histology
Fossils
Innovation
Innovations
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliopsida - anatomy & histology
Magnoliopsida - genetics
Magnoliopsida - growth & development
Magnoliopsida - physiology
Morphology
Pattern analysis
Plant fossils
Plant reproductive structures
Plant Structures - anatomy & histology
Plant Structures - growth & development
Plants
Plants (botany)
Pollination
Radiation
Reproduction
Seeds
Sporangia - anatomy & histology
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Summary:Morphological complexity is a notable feature of multicellular life, although whether it evolves gradually or in early bursts is unclear. Vascular plant reproductive structures, such as flowers, are familiar examples of complex morphology. In this study, we use a simple approach based on the number of part types to analyze changes in complexity over time. We find that reproductive complexity increased in two pulses separated by ~250 million years of stasis, including an initial rise in the Devonian with the radiation of vascular plants and a pronounced increase in the Late Cretaceous that reflects flowering plant diversification. These pulses are associated with innovations that increased functional diversity, suggesting that shifts in complexity are linked to changes in function regardless of whether they occur early or late in the history of vascular plants.
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ISSN:0036-8075
1095-9203
DOI:10.1126/science.abi6984