We are familiar with some colonies in the animal kingdom that are still thriving up to this age. Among the popular colonies are ants and bees living through separate labors to either serve their queen or nurture their offspring.

This complex system that we observe from the species are called eusociality. This social scheme has evolved in many ways from various insects. But, on the other hand, eusociality was never existent in plants.

Just until recently, in a study published in the journal ESA entitled "Primitive eusociality in a land plant?", researchers shared what could have been the first-ever social colony in plants. The observation was found on a small volcanic island near the Tasman Sea.

Staghorn Fern and Eusociality

Lord Howe Island has been the environment for the fern species that exhibited the unique trait. The staghorn fern, which lived on a treetop, have adapted to live as a social colony to survive in a not-so-friendly environment.

The plant's scientific name, Platycerium bifurcatum, refers to platys (flat) and ceras (horn). The species is abundantly existing in some parts of the UK and other parts of the Australian continent.

Individuals of the species often grow in varying shapes, sizes, and textures. However, they always grow right next to each other within the colony, effectively fitting side-by-side like puzzle pieces forming a bucket-like structure to store nutrients and water available for all the colony members, reports The Conversation.

Some members of the staghorn fern colony forgo reproduction and focus primarily on efficiently capturing and storing water to benefit other members of the colony.

Staghorn ferns are tree-dwelling plants, a group known as epiphytes. Members of this plant group thrive in tree canopies where they face a challenging environment to grow without ready access to soil and are constantly exposed to severe nutrient and water stress.

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Evolution of Social Plants

In several ways, epiphytes have evolved around their conundrum and mediate the lack of accessibility of nutrients and water.
Relatives of the staghorn fern--the Bromeliads form cup-shaped leaves, orchids, on the other hand, have specialized rot tissues. But among this, the staghorn fern's evolution stands unique. It has evolved into a colony lifestyle to overcome the adversities of being a tree-dwelling plant.

The staghorn fern isn't rare, it can be bought in many garden stores and grown in a pot like other plants. However, in the wild, researchers have discovered the individual collaboration of the colony with specialized tasks and constructions all for the benefit of the colony.

Recent discoveries about the fern's evolutionary trait change our understanding of the complexities of biology. The findings suggest that evolutionary transition to eusociality occurs not just in animals but in plants as well. Eluding to this conclusion that plants and beehives don't differ as much as we might have thought.

The team's two-year observation on staghorn fern's in Lord Howe Island shows that these plants meet the criteria for eusociality, where individuals may alter behavior to better suit their roles within the colony and aid in the thriving of the colony.

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