ScienceDaily (Dec. 30, 2009) — Evolution uses every chance it gets to try something new. Dutch researcher Anneke Rijpkema investigated how petunia flowers are formed and discovered that nature is even more varied than the naked eye can spot. The genes involved in flower formation can function differently in different species. Evolution has discovered a system that works, but within that system it continues to innovate.
A flowerbed of petunias. Although the petunia flower structure is similar to that of Arabidopsis thaliana, there are considerable differences in how the flowers of these plants are formed. (Credit: iStockphoto)
Up until now, research into the regulation of flower formation focused mostly on two model species: Arabidopsis and Anthirrhinum. Yet according to Rijpkema that is not enough to gain a complete picture. She investigated Petunia hybrida, related to plants such as the tomato and potato. Although the petunia flower structure is similar to that of Arabidopsis thaliana, there are considerable differences in how the flowers of these plants are formed. The result is more or less the same, yet in the process preceding this there are considerable differences. So there is even more variation in the natural world than the naked eye can spot.
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