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Baobab, known as the 'tree of life', originated in Madagascar
The baobab, known as the "tree of life", originated in Madagascar, from where it spread into other species, some of which reached the African continent and Australia, according to a study released this Wednesday in the journal Nature.
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Mundo Madagáscar
Eight species of baobab are currently known to exist, all derived from a single species native to Madagascar, according to a report by the Wuhan Botanical Garden in China and the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, in the UK, in collaboration with the University of Antananarivo in Madagascar and Queen Mary University of London.
Researchers at these centres concluded that the speciation process began in Madagascar with an initial species, giving rise to variations of the baobab tree that later spread to other African countries and Australia.
These trees developed different floral structures to attract different animals – from hawk moths to bats and lemurs – that help to pollinate the tree.
Other factors, such as climate and changes in sea level in their habitats, have also influenced their evolutionary process.
In this regard, the scientists stressed that the tree tends to spread more when the sea level is lower, so a rise in sea level in the context of global warming could have an impact on the existing baobab population.
According to Ilia Leitch, a researcher at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, this study has provided new information about the speciation patterns of baobabs, as well as showing how these have been influenced by climate change.
According to the authors of the research, the discovery could provide clues to reducing the impact of global warming on species and, in this way, help to conserve the different species of the tree.
In this context, the researchers have proposed that some of the baobab species, whose population has fallen by at least 90%, should be considered critically endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species.
Read also: Ghanaian man hugs over 1,000 trees in an hour, breaks record (Portuguese version)
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