Dr. Kenji Fukushima is studying carnivorous plant evolution at the University of Wuerzburg in Germany. Fukushima is an up-and-coming researcher in the field of botany who is attracting attention for his work, including a discovery that overturned a hypothesis established nearly 150 years ago. His research primarily concerns "convergent evolution," in which completely different species of organisms evolve to have structures with similar form or function. Fukushima has been studying the mysteries of convergent evolution in carnivorous plants. In this episode, we'll look at some of his new and rather surprising discoveries about these incredible plants.
Sarracenia, one type of carnivorous plant
Cephalotus follicularis, another carnivorous plant