The path of turning to carnivory seems to be quite limited for mild-mannered flowering plants. Scientists have observed that many distantly related species of carnivorous plants, like pitcher plants, sundews, Venus flytraps, and butterworts, have all independently evolved to repurpose ancient enzymes to digest animal matter through their leaves. This convergent evolution sees transporter genes found in roots, which shuttle nitrogen and potassium throughout the plant, moved to the leaves; the only difference is that the leaf genes are only switched on when the plants sense nutrients from decaying bodies. Read full article here
Research
Improving media literacy could boost trust towards the news, IMPRESS report suggests
The UK media is regulated by the likes of IPSO and Ofcom. The report by press regulator IMPRESS highlights the link between low levels of media literacy and trust in the news. The study found that three quarters of those who did not know if journalists were regulated did not trust the news. It suggests that improving media literacy is one way to stem the erosion of trust, and shows that audiences have an appetite for information on news processes. Stakeholders need to collaborate in order to rebuild trust in the news, and independent media is well placed to do this. Read full article here
Merv
February 1, 2023
