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A Cretaceous origin for fire adaptations in the Cape flora
Tianhua He1, Byron B Lamont1, John Manning2
1Department of Environment and Agriculture, Curtin University, PO Box U1987, Perth, WA 6845, Australia.
Scientific Reports
|October 6, 2016
Summary
Wildfires significantly shaped the Cape flora millions of years earlier than previously thought. Fire-stimulated flowering and germination evolved in key plant families during the Cretaceous period.
Area of Science:
- Evolutionary biology
- Paleobotany
- Ecology
Background:
- The Cape Floristic Region is a global biodiversity hotspot with a flora highly adapted to frequent fires.
- Current fire regimes are hypothesized to be 6-8 million years old, with indirect evidence suggesting fire as far back as 18 million years ago.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the evolutionary origins of fire-dependent traits in two major monocot families within the Cape flora.
- To determine the timeline of fire's influence on the evolution of this unique region.
Main Methods:
- Phylogenetic analysis of key monocot families (Haemodoraceae and Restionaceae).
- Dating the origin of fire-stimulated flowering and germination traits.
Main Results:
- Fire-stimulated flowering originated in the Cape Haemodoraceae approximately 81 million years ago (Ma).
- Fire-stimulated germination arose in the African Restionaceae at least 70 Ma.
- These findings indicate significant fire adaptation in the Cape flora since the Cretaceous, predating previous estimates by at least 60 million years.
Conclusions:
- Wildfires have been a crucial evolutionary force in the Cape Floristic Region since at least the Cretaceous period.
- The persistence of this fire-adapted flora supports the hypothesis of Cretaceous fire as a global phenomenon influencing terrestrial plant evolution.
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