What were root genes doing before they started building roots?

What were root genes doing before they started building roots?

We often use the word “roots” as a metaphor for origins. If that’s the case then scientists in Japan have made the surprising discovery that the roots of roots aren’t in roots. Root development uses a gene that evolved before nature had the idea of developing roots. Hidehiro Fukaki says his research group found that a gene called RLF is necessary for lateral root development in the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana, But the RLF gene family is inv…