The preference of Heliconius butterflies for certain leaf shapes is innate, but can be reversed through learning. These results support a decades-old theory for explaining the evolution of the ...

Subtle changes in genetics can have major effects on how leaves grow into a wide variety of shapes. John Innes Centre Around the globe, plants have evolved to use their leaves for many purposes: broad ...

Just a little over a year ago, I launched a From the Farm social media page on Facebook to allow added interaction with readers. With 6,000 followers and growing, it ...

Credit: Visualization of a narrow leaf-environment diffuse interface. Credit: Vishnu Muraleedharan, Sajeev C Rajan, Jaishanker R Complexity of biological forms has fascinated humankind over the years.

A study suggests how mechanical forces influence the shapes of plant leaves and flower petals. The genetic and biomolecular mechanisms that give rise to complex 3D shapes in plant organs have been ...

ATTEMPTS to explain the forms, colours, and other characteristics of animals and plants, though not new, were until recent years far from successful. Our Teutonic forefathers had a pretty story which ...

Thin sheets assume a rich diversity of shapes in the natural world, ranging from folds on the earth’s crust, to the wavy shapes of leaves and flowers, down to more microscopic biomembranes and ...

This story appears in the October 2012 issue of National Geographic magazine. We have all held leaves, driven miles to see their fall colors, eaten them, raked them, sought their shade. Since they are ...

Brett Foxwell’s two-minute short LeafPresser is a wonderful example of replacement animation that showcases an incredible diversity of leaf shapes, textures, and colors that can be found in nature.

It’s a question parents might dread more than “Why is the sky blue?” But the answer will not only make you look like a genius, it’ll inspire curiosity, outdoor exploration, and scientific discovery in ...

The cells that make up the walls of the finest of all lymphatic vessels have a lobate, oak leaf-like shape that makes them particularly resilient to changes in fluid volume. A similar cell shape also ...