The origin of Darwin’s “abominable mystery”
نویسندگان
چکیده
The phrase “Darwin’s abominable mystery” is frequently used with reference to a range of outstanding questions about the evolution plant group today known as angiosperms. Here, I seek more fully understand what prompted Darwin coin in 1879, and meaning he attached it, by surveying systematics, paleobotanical records, phylogenetic hypotheses his time. In light this historical research, argue that was referring origin only subset are called angiosperms: (now obsolete) equivalent “dicotyledons” Hooker Bentham system. To contemporaries, dicotyledons’ fossil record began abruptly great diversity Cretaceous, whereas gymnosperms monocotyledons were thought have records dating back Carboniferous or beyond. Based on their morphology, dicotyledons widely seen botanists Darwin’s time (unlike today) similar than monocotyledons. Thus, morphology seemed point gymnosperm progenitors dicotyledons, but hypothesis made monocotyledons, given (at time) apparently longer record, difficult place. had friendly disagreements mystery abrupt appearance others who must been rapid own gradualism would allow. But may “abominable” him because it some contemporary paleobotanists, most notably William Carruthers, Keeper Botany at British Museum, evidence for divine intervention history life. Subsequent developments systematics paleobotany after 1879 meant letter understood be all angiosperms when published 1903, has ever since.
منابع مشابه
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ژورنال
عنوان ژورنال: American Journal of Botany
سال: 2021
ISSN: ['0002-9122', '1537-2197']
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/ajb2.1592