Biology Letters
Published November 28, 2018
Plants like legumes get nitrogen from bacteria they harbor in their roots, but to reap this benefit in new habitats they must find compatible bacteria there. Researchers combined data from a global database of legume ranges and DNA sequences of their bacteria and found that legumes that partner with diverse bacteria have spread to more places than ‘picky’ legumes that partner with just one or a few bacteria.
Lead author: Tia Harrison, University of Toronto – tia.harrison@mail.utoronto.ca
