This Species of Carnivorous Plant Evolved Into a Toilet And Is Now Winning at Life

This Species of Carnivorous Plant Evolved Into a Toilet And Is Now Winning at Life
NATURE

25 January 2023
ByDAVID NIELD




Some species of carnivorous pitcher plant, Nepenthes, have switched from capturing and digesting insects to absorbing animal poop for their daily dose of nutrients – and it's a switch that's proving very beneficial.

These botanical poop eaters are managing to take in more nitrogen through their diet adaptation than other Nepenthes that snack on prey, scientists found. The difference is a considerable one, even though the new food regime doesn't sound all that appetizing.

There are some important lessons here in terms of how plants can adapt and evolve to cope with challenges in their surroundings: by understanding more about the way in which the Nepenthes have improved their nutrient intake, we can better protect them.

"A handful of Nepenthes species have evolved away from carnivory towards a diet of animal scats," says Alastair Robinson, a botanist from the Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria in Australia.

"We found that nitrogen capture is more than two times greater in species that capture mammal droppings than in other Nepenthes." ............(more)

https://www.sciencealert.com/this-species-of-carnivorous-plant-evolved-into-a-toilet-and-is-now-winning-at-life