Researchers Confirm Charles Darwin's Prediction of Carnivory in Saxifraga Plants Using Modern Technology
Scientists have confirmed that the flowering plant Saxifraga candelabrum is carnivorous, validating a hypothesis proposed by Charles Darwin over 150 years ago. While Darwin suspected that the sticky glandular hairs of the Saxifraga genus could trap and consume insects, his early experiments were inconclusive. New research published in Nature Communications utilized chemical analysis, isotope labeling, and genomic sequencing to prove the plant actively attracts gnats with odors, traps them in sticky secretions, and digests them using the enzyme phosphatase. Lead author Hang Sun explained that the findings suggest carnivory may be more widespread among flowering plants than previously believed. The study also revealed significant genomic convergence across different carnivorous lineages, showing how plants independently evolved similar traits for prey attraction and nutrient absorption. By confirming that S. candelabrum actively absorbs nitrogen from captured insects to survive in nutrient-poor alpine soils, the research provides definitive evidence of the plant's predatory lifestyle. This discovery serves as a reminder of the continuous academic inheritance of fundamental research passed down through generations.