Before everything could come up roses, there had to be a primordial flower – the mother, and father, of all flowers. Now scientists are on the hunt for it. The eFlower project aims to explain the sudden appearance of flowering plants in the fossil record, what Darwin called an “abominable mystery.”
Meanwhile, ancient flowers encased in amber or preserved in tar are providing clues about how ecosystems might respond to changing climates. And, although it was honed by evolution for billions of years, can we make photosynthesis more efficient and help forestall a global food crisis?
Guests:
Eva-Maria Sadowski – Post doctoral paleobotanist at the Museum für Naturkunde, Berlin
Regan Dunn – Paleobotanist and assistant Curator at the La Brea Tar Pits and Museum
Royal Krieger – Rosarian and volunteer at the Morcom Rose Garden, Oakland, California
Ruby Stephens – Plant ecology PhD candidate at Macquarie University in Australia, and member of the eFlower Project
Stephen Long – Professor of Plant Science, University of Illinois
Originally aired March 13, 2023
Featuring music by Dewey Dellay and Jun Miyake
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