Plant Evolution

Notably, the concept of improving plants has existed since the day humans started on the long journey toward agricultural advancement. This was

Talks, T. (2013, March 30). Genetically Evolved Technology: Luke Bawazer at TEDxWarwick 2013. Retrieved November 17, 2014, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BljY3_i3gfw

Plants are found everywhere on earth, up high on the ridge and down low in caves and caverns. The types of plants that live in these places depends on many factors. These factors are separated into two different categories, the biotic factors and the abiotic factors. Some of the biotic factors include, predation, competition, and habitat destruction. Plants with limited competition and large amounts of resources will be in a higher abundance than plants with limited resources and higher competition rates will be confined to areas and either out competed or will be the dominant species. Certain plants adapt to these factors and thrive and others don’t do as well. Some of the abiotic factors include, sunlight, water, temperature, and wind. These

According to Margulis, the pre-eukaryotic cell engulfed an aerobic bacterium, but rather than digest and kill the bacterium, a symbiotic relationship was born. This relationship, the aerobic bacterium provided energy through ATP and the eukaryotic cell provided an environment to live while protecting the new symbiont from harm in environmental factors such as oxygen. Because almost all living eukaryotes have a mitochondria, it is safe to assume that this event happened before plants and animals split in the evolutionary lineage.After this first evolutionary leap came a

6. Describe several adaptations that enable plants to reduce water loss from their leaves. Include both structural and physiological adaptations.

The first people to start specializing their plants into actual agricultural crops were still working with mostly wild plants. Over time, they used experimentation to figure out how to make better crops. Controlling

Competition happens between two or more things. In talking about plants they compete with each to survive. When competing against each other to survive they are using soil, water, nitrogen, and space. In using theses resources and having theses available gives the plant a greater chance in living. Even though plants compete environmental wise it is still scene that there is a lot of unknown to why plants compete. Some researchers believe it could be because of the root size of an individual plant or the size of the seed, which gives it better competition in surviving (Miller, 1995). Different types of competition can happen between plants likes intraspecific and interspecific competition. Miller (1995) believes there is not enough research shown to make a determination as to why competition between plants happens and that there should be research done in looking at the evolution of plants in different environments where they can compete with each other. In looking at competition in plants in class the experiment that we conducted looks at the Brassica rapa in a intraspecific competition in different densities. Miller (1995) found that the B. rapa in intraspecific competition did have increase in the number of flowers that were produced. Comparing this to the finding of Miller, when looking at different densities of plants in a interspecific competition could the B. rapa have more of a change in growth because a higher density will have more seeds and the B.

Adaptations in terrestrial environments involve the structural and functional qualities of the organism, to achieve the adequate intake of oxygen and other essential substances for the animal to survive, the evolution of more complex anatomical structures were required. Gravity is stronger on land than water, which means terrestrial organisms have to be more structural than aquatic organisms. Also, the balance of gas exchange with water loss is a key feature to survive in land. For example plants, when doing photosynthesis require carbon dioxide and water to produce oxygen, at the end of this process a lot of water is lost and terrestrial plants have to compensate the water being lost and the water taken from soil. Furthermore, the dispersal of gametes by wind or other animals have helped plants reproduce in large amounts and create varieties of species of the same kind. Short-term weather patterns as well as long-term climate conditions based on precipitations, temperature, wind, humidity as well as other factors are survival obstacles that organisms in land have to adapt to live; endothermic organisms have to maintain a constant internal

TRANSITION The concept of improving plants has been around since the day humans started growing plants. This was accomplished by

University Press, Cambridge, United Kingdom. E J H Corner, 2002. The Life of Plants. University of Chicago Press,

The article, “800-Year-Old Seeds Have Grown Into a History-Altering Plant”, on MyModernMet, details the discovery of an ancient clay vessel containing 800-year-old extinct squash seeds on a Wisconsin First Nation reserve. Following the discovery, students from the Canadian Mennonite University planted the seeds, and miraculously, they were able to harvest the extinct squash called gete-okosomin. The discovery of the ancient vessel and its seeds provided an excellent opportunity to learn about human history beyond the limits of written records. Undoubtedly, the discovery of the extinct seeds on a First Nation reserve provides deeper insight into the heritage, culture, and environmental interactions of the indigenous people centuries ago. Although it appears that the discovery of the seeds has done a great service by recovering a part of history, this is not true. In the discovery of the clay

Observation: In the drier regions of an area, more small plants were observed to be growing compared to wetter regions of an area.

Evolution is reoccuring, the world changes little by little, day by day. Evolution is the mere evidence of changes in the environment and the organisms inhabiting it. It is the biology in earth’s history. The measurement of evolution varies on each organism. Some organisms evolve at a faster rate and some gradually change depending on their fitness rate to be able to survive varying environments and timelines.

With a little bacteria and a little bit of dirt, the first plant on earth was created. This plant was no more than mats of algae that layered on top of itself in water, but it was a first nonetheless. It was not until the end of the Ordovician period, some 480 million years ago, that plants began to grow on land. Bryophytes were the first to grow, which included mosses, hornworts, and liverworts. Lacking any leaves, these plants went through a Gametophyte stage, reproducing by dividing cells into spores. Also reproducing with spores, the Lycopodiophyta (Lycopods) evolved simple microphyll leaves with just one leaf vein bringing sunlight and nutrients in to support the plant.

     Plants are autotrophs that mean they are able to synthesize food directly from inorganic compounds, instead of relying on other organisms. They use carbon dioxide gas and water to produce sugars and oxygen