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What is the evolutionary history of the Venus flytrap?

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The origin of the voracious Venus flytrap has been uncovered. The flytrap, and one other carnivorous snap-trap plant which grows underwater, evolved from a more conventional relative that had sticky leaves. read more

Venus flytraps (Dionaea muscipula) are the only members of genus Dionaea in the family Droseraceae, which is comprised entirely of carnivorous plants. The family Droseraceae is an odd family, in that it has ~150 extant species, of which all but two belong in the genus Drosera, or sundews. read more

"In his time and ours, most of us feel that plants are passive, harmless, and can't move. But the Venus flytrap acts like an animal, it moves fast and eats fresh meat." Elusive origins. But until now, it has not been clear which plant the Venus flytrap and waterwheel evolved from. read more

The use of similar biological pathways in the traps as non-carnivorous plants use for other purposes indicates that somewhere in its evolutionary history, the Venus flytrap repurposed these genes for the purpose of carnivory. read more

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