[HN Gopher] Venus flytraps count electrical impulses to induce t...
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       Venus flytraps count electrical impulses to induce the digestive
       process (2016)
        
       Author : gaws
       Score  : 31 points
       Date   : 2023-08-03 17:37 UTC (1 days ago)
        
 (HTM) web link (www.theatlantic.com)
 (TXT) w3m dump (www.theatlantic.com)
        
       | yieldcrv wrote:
       | > When one of these is bumped by a bumbling fly, it triggers a
       | spike of calcium ions that send an electrical impulse through the
       | lobes, much like those that travel along your neurons.
       | 
       | Makes me wonder what was being selected for, and what is
       | currently being selected for
       | 
       | Aka: how did these evolve and what other things did they evolve
       | from or where are the sister species, and what directions are
       | they currently evolving to?
       | 
       | Where are the other fast moving plants? Why aren't there similar
       | things that are even more able - or mobile
       | 
       | (you see I'm trying to satisfy pedantic delineation from
       | specialists in this field, but I lack the words)
        
         | callym wrote:
         | Mimosa pudica is another fast-moving plant, which isn't
         | carnivorous (and not closely related)
         | 
         | Some Drosera (sundew) species actively curl their leaves around
         | prey, but rely on the prey being stuck to their leaves already,
         | so different to the mechanism of a VFT. Drosera and VFT are in
         | the same family, so are pretty closely related.
         | 
         | There's Utricularia (bladderworts) which are capable of
         | catching prey rapidly, but the plant itself doesn't really move
         | I guess.
        
         | capableweb wrote:
         | > Where are the other fast moving plants?
         | 
         | Seems there is a bunch of them:
         | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rapid_plant_movement
        
           | appletrotter wrote:
           | > The Venus flytrap is one of a _very small group_ of plants
           | that are capable of rapid movement.
        
       | neonate wrote:
       | https://archive.ph/Bi9qY
        
       | dang wrote:
       | Related:
       | 
       |  _Venus flytraps 'able to count' in order to avoid false alarms,
       | study finds_ - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=10950449 -
       | Jan 2016 (8 comments)
        
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       (page generated 2023-08-04 23:00 UTC)