YSE-led research has discovered the answer to a 100-year-old paleontology mystery — how early plants emerged from their watery habitats to grow on land through changes to their vascular systems.

In a new paper published in Science, YSE Professor of Plant Physiological Ecology and YIBS Faculty Affiliate, Craig Brodersen and his research team, including lead author Martin Bouda ’17 PhD, ’12 MPhil and Kyra A. Prats ’22 PhD, ’16 MFS, discovered that a simple change in the vascular system of plants made them more drought-resistant, which opened up new landscapes for exploration. For more information, click here for an article published by the Yale School of the Environment.