A new study from the University of California, Berkeley offers insights into the co-evolution of plants and animals through phylogenetic and fossil evidence. The research team used a combination of genetic data from living organisms and fossils to trace the history of plant and animal interactions over millions of years. The results showed that the relationship between plants and animals has changed over time, with different levels of interaction seen in different periods. For example, the team found that while plants and animals co-evolved in the early Mesozoic era, plant and animal interactions decreased in the late Cretaceous period. The researchers also observed that the level of interaction between plants and animals increased again during the early Cenozoic era. This study provides valuable insight into the evolutionary history of plant and animal interactions, and could have implications for understanding the effects of climate change on ecosystems.

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source: Phys.org