Ferns, Ants, and Nectar
Ants like Nectar, Ferns can produce Nectar, and do so, strategically, this article examines cross kingdom evolutions of nectaries, and that is interesting.. so are ferns.. and ants.. and insights on phylogenetic streams
"Go to the ant, O sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise."
Proverbs 6:6
Phys.org article explains:
"Plants and the animals that eat them have evolved together in fascinating ways, creating a dynamic interplay of survival strategies. Many plants have developed physical and chemical defenses to fend off herbivores. A well-known strategy in flowering plants is to produce nectar to attract "ant bodyguards." Recent research explores the evolution of this same defense strategy in ferns."
Abstract:
Plant–herbivore interactions reciprocally influence species’ evolutionary trajectories. These interactions have led to many physical and chemical defenses across the plant kingdom. Some plants have even evolved indirect defense strategies to outsource their protection to ant bodyguards by bribing them with a sugary reward (nectar). Identifying the evolutionary processes underpinning these indirect defenses provide insight into the evolution of plant-animal interactions. Using a cross-kingdom, phylogenetic approach, we examined the convergent evolution of ant-guarding nectaries across ferns and flowering plants. Here, we discover that nectaries originated in ferns and flowering plants concurrently during the Cretaceous, coinciding with the rise of plant associations in ants. While nectaries in flowering plants evolved steadily through time, ferns showed a pronounced lag of nearly 100 My between their origin and subsequent diversification in the Cenozoic. Importantly, we find that as ferns transitioned from the forest floor into the canopy, they secondarily recruited ant bodyguards from existing ant-angiosperm relationships.
References:
Article, Phys.org:
https://phys.org/news/2024-05-evolution-ferns-sweet-defense-strategy.html
Paper: