Bibliothèque de L'IMIST/CNRST

Coupled with biomechanical data, organic geochemistry and cladistic analyses utilizing abundant genetic data, scientific studies are revealing new facets of how plants have evolved over time. This collection of papers examines these early stages of plant physiology evolution by describing the initial physiological adaptations necessary for survival as upright structures in a dry, terrestrial environment. The Evolution of Plant Physiology also encompasses physiology in its broadest sense to include biochemistry, histology, mechanics, development, growth, reproduction and with an emphasis on the interplay between physiology, development and plant evolution. * Contributions from leading neo- and palaeo-botanists from the Linnean Society * Focus on how evolution shaped photosynthesis, respiration, reproduction and metabolism. * Coverage of the effects of specific evolutionary forces -- variations in water and nutrient availability, grazing pressure, and other environmental variables.

Based on " ... 'The Evolution of Plant Physiology' ... the 2001 meeting of the Linnean Society of London Palaeobotany Specialist Group."--P. [4] of cover.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Description based on print version record.

Cover -- Contents -- List of contributors -- Preface -- The origins of plant physiology -- Evolution of plant physiology from the molecular level -- Evolution of anatomical physiology -- Evolution of environmental and ecosystem physiology -- Part I The Origins of Plant Physiology -- 1 Turning the land green: inferring photosynthetic physiology and diffusive limitations in early bryophytes -- Introduction -- Phylogeny of bryophytes -- Rubisco: a discriminating marker for photosynthetic metabolism -- Life on land: caught in a compromising situation -- Why is there no biophysical CCM in terrestrial plants other than hornworts? -- Comparative physiology of bryophyte photosynthesis -- Conclusions -- Acknowledgements -- References -- 2 Physiological evolution of lower embryophytes: adaptations to the terrestrial environment -- Introduction -- The ancestors of embryophytes -- Water, carbon dioxide and energetics of land plants -- Desiccation tolerance, desiccation intolerance, poikilohydry and homoiohydry -- Desiccation tolerance and intolerance -- Evolution of homoiohydry -- History of physiological interpretations of early embryophytes -- Conclusions -- Acknowledgements -- References -- 3 Origin, function and development of the spore wall in early land plants -- Introduction -- Origin of the spore wall -- Function of the spore wall -- Spore wall development -- Conclusions -- Acknowledgements -- References -- Part II Evolution of Plant Physiology from the Molecular Level -- 4 The evolution of plant biochemistry and the implications for physiology -- Introduction -- Molecular evolution, biochemical evolution and metabolic evolution -- hierarchical terms -- Metabolic evolution -- what determines whether a new enzyme is retained? -- Selection for different molecular properties has consequences for metabolic evolution -- Biochemical evolution and physiology -- The interaction of plants with other organisms -- The evolution of regulatory systems for secondary metabolism -- Signalling molecules within plants -- Summary -- Acknowledgements -- References -- 5 Did auxin play a crucial role in the evolution of novel body plans during the Late Silurian-Early Devonian radiation of land plants? -- Introduction -- Brief overview of Cambrian radiation of bilateral animals -- Silurian-Devonian radiation of land plants -- Conclusions -- Acknowledgements -- References -- 6 Aquaporins: structure, function and phylogenetic analysis -- Introduction -- Transport of water across cell membranes -- Discovery of aquaporins and the MIP-family -- Structure and function of MIPs -- MIPs of bacteria, fungi and animals -- Plant MIPs -- Phylogenetic analysis -- Acknowledgement -- References -- 7 Evolutionary origin of the ethylene biosynthesis pathway in angiosperms -- Introduction -- Evolution of the angiosperm ethylene biosynthesis pathway -- How ACC oxidase originated -- When did the ethylene biosynthesis pathway arise? -- Acknowledgements -- References -- 8 Structural biomacromolecules in plants: what can be learnt from the fossil record? -- Introduction -- Characterizing resistant biomacromolecules -- Resistant biomacromolecules in outer coverings -- Inner structural entities -- Conclusions -- References -- 9 Early land.