Tulip Tree

[Roxie]

New scientific information on the tulip tree indicates that it is a molecular fossil. 

www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-22151864

Very interesting article, but what does it mean?  Why is this significant? 

[SwampDonkey]

I think they are just saying the genetics of the tulip tree are slow to change at the molecular level. Probably little genetic variation in the population as well. Red pine is that way. Also indicates that it has been able to adapt well as the environment changes. I guess it can be traced back further on the family tree than other plants.

[Jay C. White Cloud]

Yes SD,

Kind'a like the Ginkgo tree, sorta primitive and hasn't changed much.

[SwampDonkey]

They have found redbud in fossils on the River Don near Toronto as well.

[Jay C. White Cloud]

You got to love trees,  when the Mother Nature gets a thing "right" evolution kind'a slows down.

[Roxie]

It really is fascinating, and who would think something as common as a tulip tree would hold such a mystery?   

[mesquite buckeye]

Unfortunately, the article has information which requires a little decoding for most people.

First, the study is of mitochondrial genetics. Mitochondria are the organelles found in all living cells that are the site of energy production. The mitochondria are believed to be endosymbiotic, meaning a symbiotic organism within another organism, probably of bacterial origin, and posess thier own DNA independent of the nuclear DNA where the majority of genetic information for an organism is contained. As such, the genetics of mitochondria are relatively simple.

The implication here is that the mitochondria of tulip trees contains many genes not found in more advanced plants (The magnolia family is a primitive angiosperm family.).

It is not clear from what is written whether the tulip trees are of low mitochondrial diversity, as it is not clear that Mitochondrial DNA from throughout the plant's range has been sequenced. That would not be surprising, as many survivors of major extinction events tend to be of low diversity. Presumably very few individuals survived, creating a genetic bottleneck eliminating much of the original diversity.

By the way, most of our North American hardwoods date back to at least 100 million years ago in the Cretaceous Period, when dinosaurs were walking around. The softwoods are probably even older. Pretty neat stuff. Thanks, Roxie.