Plant Makes Fake 'Poop' to Fool Dung Beetles

[Anomalocaris]

Plant Makes Fake 'Poop' to Fool Dung Beetles

Seeds of a South African plant look and smell just like antelope poop — the better to attract the attention of beetles.

The seeds, produced by the plant Ceratocaryum argenteum, fool dung beetles, which roll the seeds away and bury them, later resulting in a new plant. T

The discovery, published in the journal Nature Plants, adds to the growing body of evidence that plants can be clever, even without a brain.

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Edited October 5, 2015 by Anomalocaris

[Keel M.]

The discovery, published in the journal Nature Plants, adds to the growing body of evidence that plants can be clever, even without a brain.

I already knew this because there's another plant that gives off the same scent as a female wasp's pheromones, which attracts male wasps and helps the plant get pollinated. In some cases the wasps prefer the plant to the "real woman" so to speak.

Plants sure do love to **** with the rest of nature. :w00t:

Then there's the plant that has feelers that "sniff" out another plant to reach out and wrap around.

[Patient Zero]

Evolution is so cool!

Wasn't aware of either of these. Thanks.

[Keel M.]

Misanthropic, I have been unsuccessful in finding the documentary about the wasp scent capability, but this video has the "sniffer" vine (dodder vine) on it starting at around the 9:30 mark.