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Nature 448, 145-147 (12 July 2007) | doi:10.1038/448145a; Published online 11 July 2007

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Plant ecology: Family roots

Ragan M. Callaway1 & Bruce E. Mahall2

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Experiments in which related and unrelated plants were grown together reveal the ability of roots to recognize their kin. The ecological and evolutionary implications are tantalizing topics for future studies.

Knowing who are your relatives and who are not creates behavioural, ecological and evolutionary opportunities. Organisms capable of recognizing kin can adjust territories, avoid incestuous mating, decide to fight or not and, importantly, benefit evolutionarily from promoting the success of brothers, sisters and cousins — individuals that share their genes.

  1. Ragan M. Callaway is in the Division of Biological Sciences, University of Montana, Missoula, Montana 59812, USA.
    Email: ray.callaway@mso.umt.edu
  2. Bruce E. Mahall is in the Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Marine Biology, University of California, Santa Barbara, California 93106, USA.
    Email: mahall@lifesci.ucsb.edu

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