The Light Eaters: How the Unseen World of Plant Intelligence Offers a New Understanding of Life on Earth

Significant genetic changes in human biology can take thousands to tens of thousands of years. For humans, genetic changes that affect large populations generally require many generations to become widespread. Lactose tolerance in one such trait that took thousands of years to develop. Plants operate on a different timeline. They can develop genetic mutations at a much faster rate, creating signific genetic shifts in their immediate offspring. For example, plants that have been repeatedly munched on by a species of caterpillar will employ a series of defenses in their genetic offerings, producing offspring with prickly hairs or bitter tannins to ward off future predators. This is just one example of how plants are constantly engaging in a process of biological creativity, responding to environmental factors and finding unique solutions to their problems: “What we end up with is a sort of balance in constant motion. All this pushing and pulling and coalescing, as I have come to understand, is a sign of tremendous biological creativity” (2). This idea indicates a more fluid and ever-changing concept of ecology, a stark contrast to human evolution and a new way of thinking about how various systems intersect.

Boquila trifoliata, a common vine found in the Chilean rain forest, is a striking example of accelerated adaptation.