Miltos Tsiantis and his group from the Max Planck Institute for Plant Breeding Research want to find out how biological forms develop and the basis for their diversity. The researchers are using thale ...

“Leaves have evolved over millions of years to optimize light collection, transport of nutrients to and from the plant body, and mechanical stability against natural stresses,” says David Young a ...

video: Professor Miltos Tsiantis from the Max Planck Institute for Plant Breeding Research in Cologne talks about his recent work in CELL showing how genes act to determine leaf shape. view more ...

An apple may not fall far from the tree, but for a leaf, it depends on its shape. Elm or apple leaves — oval and symmetrical, with few protruding lobes — fall quickly, making them likely to end up ...

The tropical butterfly Heliconius erato distinguishes between shapes, and uses them as a cue for choosing the plants on which to feed and lay eggs, shows new research by scientists from the University ...

Two physicists from the Technical University of Denmark have found that leaf shape is a determining factor in the distance leaves travel as they fall from their tree. In their paper published in the ...

Scientists identify protein that controls leaf growth and shape. In autumn, it is not only the colours that catch the eye, but also the different sizes and shapes of leaves. But what makes leaves of ...

Subtle changes in genetics can have major effects on how leaves grow into a wide variety of shapes. John Innes Centre Around the globe, plants have evolved to use their leaves for many purposes: broad ...

James is a published author with multiple pop-history and science books to his name. He specializes in history, space, strange science, and anything out of the ordinary.View full profile James is a ...

PANAMA CITY, Panama, July 29 (UPI) --The evolutionary pressures of hunger, reproduction and pollination have driven a unique relationship between butterflies and plants. To encourage the faithfulness ...

Scientists have determined how key developmental genes influence growth of cells to produce such differences in leaf form. The researchers were able to make thale cress, which typically produces ...

All leaves develop from tiny buds, which consist of only a few cells. The buds always look the same, no matter what kind of leaf they eventually form. Not only that, but very similar leaf shapes can ...