Journal article
Fire-proneness as a prerequisite for the evolution of fire-adapted traits
Trends in Plant Science, Vol.22(4), pp.278-288
2017
Abstract
Fire as a major evolutionary force has been disputed because it is considered to lack supporting evidence. If a trait has evolved in response to selection by fire then the environment of the plant must have been fire-prone before the appearance of that trait. Using outcomes of trait assignments applied to molecular phylogenies for fire-stimulated flowering, seed-release, and germination, in this Opinion article we show that fire-proneness precedes, or rarely coincides with, the evolution of these fire-adapted traits. In addition, fire remains central to understanding germination promoted by smoke among species occurring in non-fire-prone environments because of the historical association of their clade with fire. Fire-mimicking selection and associated exaptations have no place in understanding the evolution of fire-adapted traits because we find no support for any reversal in the fire–trait sequence through time.
Details
- Title
- Fire-proneness as a prerequisite for the evolution of fire-adapted traits
- Authors/Creators
- B.B. Lamont (Author/Creator) - Curtin UniversityT. He (Author/Creator) - Curtin University
- Publication Details
- Trends in Plant Science, Vol.22(4), pp.278-288
- Publisher
- Elsevier Ltd
- Identifiers
- 991005542588407891
- Copyright
- © 2016
- Murdoch Affiliation
- Murdoch University
- Language
- English
- Resource Type
- Journal article
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- Citation topics
- 3 Agriculture, Environment & Ecology
- 3.40 Forestry
- 3.40.86 Plant Communities
- Web Of Science research areas
- Plant Sciences
- ESI research areas
- Plant & Animal Science