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Scientists Confirm Darwin Hunch 150 Years Later
Newser • • science
Key Points:
- A new study published in Nature Communications confirms Charles Darwin's long-standing hypothesis that plants in the Saxifraga genus are carnivorous.
- Researchers focused on a Saxifraga species native to China, finding that mature plants with sticky, hair-covered branches trapped an average of 71 insects each.
- Experiments demonstrated the plants attract prey using scent, digest insects with enzymes found in other carnivorous plants, and absorb nutrients, confirmed through nitrogen-labeled fruit flies.
- Genetic analysis suggests other Saxifraga relatives with similar hairs may also be insect hunters, supporting Darwin’s original suspicions.
- The plants tend to avoid capturing their own pollinators, and Darwin’s early attempts to prove this theory over 150 years ago were unsuccessful until now.
