Giant tree-like cactuses called saguaros in Arizona, USASusan E. Degginger / Alamy
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Cacti are one of the world’s most beguiling and easily recognised plant families, but how and why the spiky family evolved into its many diverse shapes and sizes has been a mystery. Now, researchers are untangling the ancient history of the Cactaceae, revealing some surprising forces that shaped these plants, and prompting concern for their future.
Fossils can’t tell us much about…
The cactus family’s surprising evolutionary journey
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