Cacti may help explain a centuries-old mystery of evolution

This question of why some branches of the tree of life explode into thousands of species, while others remain small, has shaped evolutionary biology since Charles Darwin.

My colleague and I have published a new study of cactus flowers which may help explain the conundrum.

For more than a century, scientists have seen flowers that are…

© La Conversation - mercredi 18 mars 2026