These plants might actually be de-evolving
We know that the world and its various inhabitants, from plants to animals, are still evolving. In fact, some even believe that humans are actively evolving in different parts of the world right now. But a group of plants found in the Galápagos archipelago might be doing the opposite and de-evolving. Researchers argue that despite how controversial it might sound, tomatoes in the Galápagos actually seem to be going backwards, not forwards.
De-evolution, or reverse evolution, is a bit of a controversy among evolutionists, and for good reason. Evolution isn't really meant to have a rewind button. Some organisms might re-acquire old traits that were once lost, but they usually do so through new genetic pathways. But these tomato plants appear to be doing something unexpected.
Today's Top Deals
Best deals: Tech, laptops, TVs, and more sales
Best Ring Video Doorbell deals
Memorial Day security camera deals: Reolink's unbeatable sale has prices from $29.98
'It's not something we usually expect,' Adam Jozwiak, a molecular biochemist at UC Riverside and lead author of the study, shared in a statement. 'But here it is, happening in real time, on a volcanic island.'
The primary reason that the researchers believe these plants are de-evolving is because they appear to be reverting to a more primitive genetic state, complete with an ancient type of chemical defense. One of the key changes seen is alkaloids, a type of bitter molecule that usually acts as a built-in pesticide. These chemicals help to deter predators like insects, fungi, and even grazing animals.
Modern tomatoes and other plants all make use of alkaloids. But it's not the presence of alkaloids that attracted scientists to these plants. Instead, it's the fact that the tomatoes appear to be making the wrong alkaloids. Instead of creating the alkaloids that the researchers expected to see in a tomato, the de-evolving plants are churning out a version of alkaloids that have the same molecular fingerprint as eggplant relatives from millions of years ago.
What's even more impressive is that this isn't all the of the tomatoes found in the Galápagos. Instead, the plants that grow on the eastern islands appear to have the same molecular structure as modern tomatoes found elsewhere. However, those found on the western islands produce alkaloids that look more fitting for an ancient plant, suggesting they have de-evolved in some way.
This discovery pushed the researchers deeper, as they started looking for clues as to how this de-evolution had taken place. They discovered that it only took changes to four amino acids in a single enzyme to lead to the change seen in these plants. They further proved this discovery by synthesizing the same genes coding the new enzymes in the lab and then inserting them into tobacco plants, where they promptly began producing the old alkaloids. Their findings are published in Nature Communications.
The researchers believe that the cause of the de-evolution may come down to the harsher environment found on the western islands. The western section of the Galápagos is younger and less stable. The landscape is far more barren, and the soil is less developed. This could have pushed the plants to adopt the older chemistry setup.
Of course, the researchers are aware of just how controversial their claims might be in some circles. 'Some people don't believe in this,' Jozwiak stated. 'But the genetic and chemical evidence points to a return to an ancestral state. The mechanism is there. It happened.'
Further, the researchers believe that this same mechanism could possibly affect humans, too. Over time, changes to our environment might push the human body to pick up past traits that we evolved away from long ago. Yes, it's controversial, but the possibility that evolution is not a one-way street could fundamentally challenge everything we thought we knew about it.
It could also completely change how we view the history of evolution and provide more insight into our own ancient history as a result. That's one of the most beautiful things about science, though. Scientists are always challenging their assumptions. And while the idea of de-evolution might sound absurd, the fact remains that these tomato plants in the Galápagos are a perfect example of how new developments can often challenge long-standing beliefs.
More Top Deals
Amazon gift card deals, offers & coupons 2025: Get $2,000+ free
See the
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Health Line
2 hours ago
- Health Line
Health Effects of Daylight Saving: Risks Outweigh Benefits
Daylight Saving Time (DST) is often associated with extended daylight hours, but its health effects are more complex than they may seem. While some argue that DST encourages outdoor activity and boosts mood due to the 'extra' hour of evening daylight, research indicates that the health risks may outweigh the minimal benefits. The American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) has expressed concerns about the adverse effects of DST on public health. The AASM recommends eliminating seasonal time changes in favor of a fixed, national, year-round standard time, as current evidence best supports this approach for public health and safety. The Mayo Clinic conducted a nationwide study examining the effects of DST on heart health. Researchers found that the impact of DST on heart health is likely minimal, suggesting that concerns about heart health should not be a primary factor in decisions regarding DST.
Health Line
7 hours ago
- Health Line
What's the Connection Between Statins and Dementia?
There are conflicting research findings as to whether the use of statins can protect from dementia or increase the risk of dementia. While some older research has pointed to the possibility of a correlation, more recent studies showed that this drug class may lower your risk for dementia, including Alzheimer's disease. Statins are a type of medication taken to lower cholesterol levels in the blood. They prevent an enzyme called hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA reductase (HMG-CoA reductase), which is involved in the production of cholesterol in the liver. Benefits of statins Benefits include lowering LDL ('bad') cholesterol levels, reducing the risk of heart disease, and preventing plaque buildup in your arteries. These medications include atorvastatin (Lipitor) and rosuvastatin (Crestor), among others. In 2012, the Food and Drug Administration issued a warning that statin use could rarely cause memory loss or confusion. The FDA later updated the findings that this cognitive decline was not significant. A growing body of research suggests statins may have a protective effect against dementia. A review of 31 studies published in 2018 supports the idea that statins can help prevent the risk of dementia. The researchers found that taking statins for 1 year decreased dementia risk by about 20%, while an average daily 5-milligram (mg) dose was associated with an 11% decrease in dementia risk. The researchers noted that because high cholesterol is a risk factor for dementia, lowering it could have positive effects on the brain. According to a 2020 review, statins may help short- and long-term delay of dementia progression in people over 65 years old with the condition, although the researchers noted that their findings were insufficient to make a definitive statement. Studies in 2021 and 2023 also pointed in the direction of statins having a protective effect against dementia, though the results were not conclusive. Research discrepancies Researchers in a 2022 study pointed out that discrepancies among studies is possibly related to smaller sample sizes and biases in the research methods, as well as wide ranges in the ages of participants, and co-existing conditions. Additionally, these researchers pointed out that different types of statins have different cognitive effects. Most scientists and medical professionals agree that more research is needed on the cognitive effects of statins, and there are studies in progress. If you have high cholesterol, it's important to get advice from a medical professional. High cholesterol is a risk factor for diseases that can affect your independence and life span, such as: heart disease dementia stroke heart attack While some people can experience improvement with lifestyle modifications, many who have high cholesterol need to take cholesterol-lowering medication. You and your doctor can discuss a plan that's individualized for you.
Yahoo
14 hours ago
- Yahoo
The hurricane name game: Will people take a storm called Flossie seriously?
The latest name assigned to a tropical storm – Flossie – in the Eastern Pacific prompted more than a few raised eyebrows and jokes on social media. Flossie? The name is far more associated with cows in literature and even a long-lived cat in the Guinness Book of World Records than a potentially disastrous storm. But Flossie may soon be a hurricane and could be headed for the tourist hot spot Cabo San Lucas at the southern end of Mexico's Baja California peninsula. Will people take the amiable-sounding storm as seriously as they might another storm? There has not been a lot of definitive research to determine whether the name of a storm affects how people prepare for or pay attention to storms. One earlier study found that male hurricane names are often taken more seriously than female names, but more than a dozen storms have been named Flossie, and at least one of them left its own serious trail of destruction. One study has claimed male hurricane names were taken more seriously than female names. "In judging the intensity of a storm, people appear to be applying their beliefs about how men and women behave," said Sharon Shavitt, a professor of marketing at Illinois and a coauthor of the study, which appeared in the peer-reviewed journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences in 2014. "This makes a female-named hurricane, especially one with a very feminine name such as Belle or Cindy, seem gentler and less violent." Though that study was mostly debunked, it raised some questions about the naming policy of hurricanes. Hurricane names come from long ago and far away: In fact, some of the storm names on the various lists have been around since 1950 (including Flossie), and they come from the imaginations of the folks at the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) in Geneva. A member of the United States' National Hurricane Center weighs in on the lists, which are chosen long in advance and are on a six-year rotation. The WMO chooses hurricane names several years in advance, so storms are not named based on their severity at the time. "It is important to note that tropical cyclones are not named after individuals," the WMO says. When selecting a new name, the WMO considers these criteria: ∎ Short in character length for ease of use in communication.∎ Easy to pronounce.∎ Appropriate significance in different languages.∎ Uniqueness – same names cannot be used in other regions. From the early 1950s until the late 1970s, hurricanes received only female names. The alternating male-female naming system was adopted in the late 1970s because of society's increased awareness of sexism, the authors in the 2014 study said. The first "male" storm was Hurricane Bob in 1979. So is it time to modernize the list, which contains some rather old-fashioned names to American ears, such as Flossie, which has been used in one form or another for 19 tropical cyclones worldwide since 1950? "Some of the hurricane names which have been in use for many years may now seem a bit dated," WMO spokesperson Claire Nullis acknowledged in an e-mail to USA TODAY June 30. "The (WMO) hurricane committee is concerned with the retirement of names of hurricanes which were particularly damaging or deadly – and they tend to be later in the season (so later in the alphabet) than early season ones. "I'm not aware that the hurricane committee has ever discussed withdrawing names which don't sound threatening." And as a popular baby name in the United States, the pregnancy advice site Bump said, the name Flossy peaked in 1908 before bottoming out in 1927. It turns out Flossie, or Flossy, has been in the hurricane vernacular for a very long time – dating all the way back to 1950 in the Western Pacific and 1956 in the Atlantic. It has been used for 19 tropical cyclones worldwide: two the Atlantic Ocean, eight in the eastern Pacific Ocean and nine in the western Pacific. One of the more notable Flossies occurred in early September 2001, when remnant moisture from the eastern Pacific's Hurricane Flossie helped bring strong thunderstorms, lightning and flash floods across portions of Southern California, according to a National Hurricane Center report. "There were no direct deaths or damage from Flossie while it was a tropical cyclone, but two people died from lightning strikes when the remnants arrived in Southwestern California." Four people were struck by lightning in the San Diego and San Bernardino Mountains, and two of them died: a 53-year old man struck while hiking and a 13-year-old boy who was standing in an open field. One storm brought 2 inches of rain in an hour and caused flooding in San Diego and Riverside counties, the hurricane center said. In 2013, Tropical Storm Flossie almost made landfall in Hawaii but moved to the north. Two hurricanes named Flossie have approached Hawaii: a category 4 in 2007 and a category 1 in 2019. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: How Flossie became a name for a potentially serious hurricane
