• Question: Is there a link between humans and plants?

    Asked by to Anthony on 8 Jan 2019. This question was also asked by .
    • Photo: Anthony Redmond

      Anthony Redmond answered on 8 Jan 2019:


      Evolutionary link: We come from a common ancestor with plants, but all animals, all fungi, and even some tiny single-celled relatives are more closely related to us. Even though our evolutionary split from plants was a long time ago, we still share many biological mechanisms and functions.

      Ecological link: Plants perform photosynthesis (making food using sunlight), without which we would probably not survive, and would never have evolved. For many millions of years animals have relied on plants for food, and plants on animals for seed dispersal!

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