Random wind dispersal worked, but there was a downside. Wind dispersal is a hit-and-miss affair, wasteful and expensive. But insect pollination seems to have disappointed some plant lineages; at any rate they reverted back to dispersal by wind. About 10% of flowering plant species use wind for fertilisation. Wind, the researchers conclude, is a ‘more consistent agent’ for pollen dispersal than insects whose numbers tend to fluctuate erratically.

Source: Irish Examiner January 07, 2019 00:00 UTC