Scientists find ‘surprising’ connections between tropical forests

Though they may lie thousands of miles apart and house different species, the world’s tropical forests may not be as different from each other as they seem to be. A new study shines light on the evolutionary relationships between tropical trees, revealing some surprising connections. For their study, an international team of several dozen researchers genetically analyzed the evolutionary relatedness of tree species that live in tropical and sub-tropical forests around the world. Their results were published today in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. In line with previous research, their study found that tropical forests share a common ancestry that dates back to between 100 million to 66 million years ago. During this time, dinosaurs roamed the planet and the supercontinent of Gondwana began breaking apart. But then, sometime after 66 million years ago, tropical trees started diverging into more distinct groups. As continents drifted away from one another, oceans opened up, making it increasingly difficult for plants to spread their pollen and seeds to different landmasses. As trees became more isolated to their respective continents, they began to change into new species. The world’s tropical forests are home to a vasty array of species, like this broad-billed tody (Todus subulatus). When the researchers analyzed the more recent evolutionary relationships between tropical tree species living today, they uncovered some surprises that overturn traditional assumptions. For one, according to the analysis, the world’s tropical forests seem to be divided into two main “floristic regions,” one that comprises most of…

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