Image courtecy of: Shutterstock / Dudarev Mikhail
Joel Kontinen
The baobab tree evolved on the island of Madagascar
before eventually spreading to Africa and Australia, new research suggests.
“The iconic, "upside-down" baobab tree first
emerged on the island of Madagascar, new research into its tangled evolutionary
history reveals. It's still not clear, however, that is is found in Australia while
it grew origamally in on Madagascar,
“The majestic baobab tree can grow to heights of 25 meters or 82 feet and
can live thousands of years. It is often dubbed "the tree of life"
thanks to its amazing capacity to store water, provide food and even medicine
from its leaves.”
However, the origins of the baobab (Adansonia) have been shrouded in mystery, in part because it's found in multiple regions. One species, Adansonia digitata is found in some 32 African countries, and another, A. gregorii, is found in northwestern Australia. The other six species are endemic to to Madagascar.
The
tree emerged on the island of
Madagascar around 41.1 million years ago41.1 million years ago, while the first baobab emerged 21
million years ago, the team reported in the new study, which was publishedwas published
Wednesday (May 15)
Source:
Richard Pallardy 2024 Bizarre evolutionary roots of Africa's iconic upside-down baobab trees revealed (msn.com) 19 May
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