How Gene Mutations Help Flowers Mimic Foul Odors to Attract Pollinators
Some plants have evolved a surprising strategy to attract pollinators—not with sweet fragrances, but with the stench of rotting flesh and dung. Researchers have discovered that certain flowering plants, including wild ginger (Asarum canadense), produce malodorous chemicals through gene mutations that mimic the scent of decaying organic matter. The Genetic Mechanism Behind the Stench Scientists ...
