Dinoflagellates use flagella to move through the water. Although land plants are restricted by their roots, I find it interesting that plants have not evolved systems for movement at least in the water. Given that epiphytes can grow with their roots attached to rocks and collect water and nutrients through their leaves, not their roots, it seems technically feasible for even land plants to move at least very slowly perhaps carrying their rock with them. In over 500 million years of evolution why has selection failed to produce moving plants? Are moving plants impossible or energetically unlikely for some reason or something that evolution just neglected at the macro-scale?
I think runners are meant for propagation and not for movement. The plants are source of oxygen, which is an important component of life. In addition they also provide food, fodder, fuel, timber and shade. They also prevent soil erosion. The nature might not have allowed them to evolve the movement system to maintain the balance.
Further there may be such plants on this planet that can move but yet have not been reported.
A plant that could move ever very slowly would seem to have many advantages so I am wondering why this has never evolved and if it would be possible to evolve such plants.
- Badges
- Science topic
- Similar topics
- Biological Science
- Biota
- Eukaryota
- Viridiplantae
- Streptophyta
- Plants