We've all heard examples of animal altruism: Dogs caring for orphaned kittens, chimps sharing food or dolphins nudging injured mates to the surface. Now, a study led by the University of Colorado Boulder suggests some plants are altruistic too.
The researchers looked at corn, in which each fertilized seed contained two "siblings" -- an embryo and a corresponding bit of tissue known as endosperm that feeds the embryo as the seed grows, said CU-Boulder Professor Pamela Diggle. They compared the growth and behavior of the embryos and endosperm in seeds sharing the same mother and father with the growth and behavior of embryos and endosperm that had genetically different parents.
"The results indicated embryos with the same mother and father as the endosperm in their seed weighed significantly more than embryos with the same mother but a different father," said Diggle, a faculty member in CU-Boulder's ecology and evolutionary biology department. "We found that endosperm that does not share the same father as the embryo does not hand over as much food -- it appears to be acting less cooperatively."
A paper on the subject was published during the week of Jan. 21 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Co-authors on the study included Chi-Chih Wu, a CU-Boulder doctoral student in the ecology and evolutionary biology department and Professor William "Ned" Friedman, a professor at Harvard University who helped conduct research on the project while a faculty member at CU-Boulder.
Diggle said it is fairly clear from previous research that plants can preferentially withhold nutrients from inferior offspring when resources are limited. "Our study is the first to specifically test the idea of cooperation among siblings in plants."
"One of the most fundamental laws of nature is that if you are going to be an altruist, give it up to your closest relatives," said Friedman. "Altruism only evolves if the b
'/>"/>
| Contact: Pamela Diggle pamela.diggle@colorado.edu 303-550-3065 University of Colorado at Boulder Source:Eurekalert |
Related biology news :
1. Not just for the birds: Man-made noise has ripple effects on plants, too
2. Human noise has ripple effects on plants
3. Plants mimic scent of pollinating beetles
4. Stomata development in plants unraveled -- a valuable discovery for environmental research
5. Scientists study the catalytic reactions used by plants to split oxygen from water
6. Which plants will survive droughts, climate change?
7. A bit touchy: Plants insect defenses activated by touch
8. UCSB study shows forest insects and diseases arrive in US via imported plants
9. Nutrient and toxin all at once: How plants absorb the perfect quantity of minerals
10. Neural stem cell transplants for spinal cord injury maximized by combined, complimentary therapies
11. Autologous bone marrow-derived mononuclear cell transplants can reduce diabetic amputations
 |
| Copyright © 2003-2012 Bio-Medicine. All rights reserved. ABOUT | CONTACT US | DISCLAIMER | PRIVACY POLICY | TERMS AND CONDITIONS |  |