Evolution of fruit types in the Rosaceae family

The evolution of fruits might have been the most important feature that made angiosperms so successful. Fruits protect seeds and contribute to seed dispersal, as well as comprise a food source for humans and other animals, therefore, studying their evolution would help us shed light on the evolution of angiosperms themselves and also understanding their ecological implications. In their paper, Xiang et al. take us through their reconstruction of the Rosaceae family tree by using nuclear phenology after sequencing the transcriptomes of 123 species in this family (plus some outgroup species), and show us the importance of the role of whole genome duplications not only in speciation but also on the diversification of the family’s fruit types. (Summary by Gaby Auge) Mol. Biol Evol. 10.1093/molbev/msw242