Recent Book Traces Evolution of Plant Form

Posted in Books: Past and Present on November 25, 2013 by Barbara Ambrose

Barbara A. Ambrose, Ph.D., is the Cullman Assistant Curator in Plant Genomics at The New York Botanical Garden. Among other things, she is currently researching the genetic basis for the evolution of leaves in certain fern species.

How did plant life evolve on Earth to form hundreds of thousands of species with a vast diversity of shapes and structures? The explosive growth of DNA sequencing and the dramatic expansion of our ability to analyze huge quantities of sequencing data are making it possible to address fundamental questions about plant evolution more authoritatively than ever before.

The Evolution of Plant Form brings together for the first time in a single book the plant scientists who study morphology—the forms and structures of plants, such as leaves and flowers—and molecular geneticists. The classical morphologists know the interesting questions in plant morphology, and the molecular geneticists have the tools to address those questions.

The book, which includes contributions by a dozen leading plant researchers, not only summarizes our current knowledge about plant evolution and development but also points the way toward future studies.

This kind of basic research is at the heart of understanding and, ultimately, preserving the plant kingdom that we humans depend upon for food, clothing, shelter, medicine and more.

Available in hardcover or as an e-book, The Evolution of Plant Form is intended mainly for advanced undergraduate students, graduate students, and plant researchers interested in plant evolution. For more information about the book, click here.