A plant used in traditional Chinese medicine has evolved to become less visible to humans, new research shows.
A plant used in traditional Chinese medicine has evolved to become less visible to humans, new research shows.
Scientists found that Fritillaria delavayi plants, which live on rocky slopes of China's Hengduan mountains, match their backgrounds most closely in areas where they are heavily harvested.
This suggests humans are "driving" evolution of this species into new colour forms because better-camouflaged plants have a higher chance of survival.
The study was carried out by the Kunming Institute of Botany (Chinese Academy of Sciences) and the University of Exeter.
"It's remarkable to see how humans can have such a direct and dramatic impact on the colouration of wild organisms, not just on their survival but on their evolution itself," said Professor Martin Stevens, of the Centre for Ecology and Conservation on Exeter’s Penryn Campus in Cornwall.
Read more at University of Exeter
Image: Fritillaria delavayi in populations with high harvest pressure. Credit Yang Niu
