The mass extinction during the super-greenhouse conditions at the Permian-Triassic transition occurred when average maximum daily temperatures in equatorial regions exceeded 45 deg. C. Most modern plant can not survive these conditions, but lycophytes prospered, perhaps due to their unusual photosynthetic mechanism.

Summary: https://phys.org/news/2026-04-primitive-evolved-survive-earth-catastrophic.html

Original paper: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41559-026-03026-0

#Science #Evolution #Photosynthesis #ClimateChange #Extinction #Lycophytes

Full bloom in Lund.

#Lund #Sweden #Spring #newlifenewhope #newbeginnings #April #joy #photosynthesis

🌲Just published in @AnnBot : “Densely packed needles along the shoots of evergreen conifers exhibit shade-acclimated photosynthetic characteristics even under full sunlight” by Mitsutoshi Kitao and co-authors. 🧵 (1/10)

👉 https://botany.fyi/864hmk

#AoBpapers #PlantScience #Photosynthesis #ForestEcology #PlantAdaptation #Botany

Before the 'Oxygen Apocalypse', Earth was purple, the oceans ferrous, and H₂O's oxygen safely locked away 🟣

Then, bacteria developed a quantum lockpick 🗝️⚡

The seas rusted and the ancients died out. Complex organisms burn the fuel of this cataclysm still, but pay the price by ageing 🦠

This is the story of how symmetry saves us from the flames ⚛️

Full post: https://keiran-rowell.github.io/oxygen/2026-04-02-the-oxygen-apocalypse/

#oxygen #science #scicomm #GreatOxidationEvent #photosynthesis #eukaryogenesis #quantumbiology #geology