13.02.2024Urnerboden, the birthplace of new species in Switzerland

Our researchers from the group Shimizu and Shimizu-Inatsugi studied a new type of plant called Cardamine insueta, which formed as a mix of two other plants in a Swiss village over the last 150 years. The two original plants, Cardamine amara and Cardamine rivularis, live in wet and open areas, but the new species, C. insueta, is found in-between these habitats where the water levels change over time. C. insueta reproduces by making copies of itself and plays a role in the creation of plants with even more genetic material.

The scientists wanted to understand how C. insueta survives in its environment, especially since it's in a location different from its parent plants. They looked at how specific genes in the plant responded when the plant was submerged in water. They used a computer program to analyze the genes and found that C. insueta, along with one of its parent plants (C. rivularis), starts new growth by forming extra plant buds on its leaves, while the other parent plant (C. amara) does not.

When they looked at the genes at different times during the experiment, they saw that the genes in C. insueta and C. rivularis followed a pattern that matched their genetic makeup. They also found certain genes related to plant growth that were more active in C. insueta and its rivularis parent than in the amara parent. In summary, the study suggests that C. insueta adapted to its environment by combining useful traits from both parent plants, allowing it to thrive in a new area with changing water levels.