Stuff To Blow Your Mind cover image

Tea: The Splendid Elixir, Part 1

Stuff To Blow Your Mind

00:00

Is There a Convergence of Evolution?

Caffeine was created by the action of in-methyltransferases in cacao trees and in the tea plant. But researchers also found that the enzymes for making caffeine in these different plants did not all evolve from the same ancestor. This would be a case of convergent evolution. Different branches on the tree of life evolving the same solution independently.

Play episode from 44:03
Transcript

The AI-powered Podcast Player

Save insights by tapping your headphones, chat with episodes, discover the best highlights - and more!
App store bannerPlay store banner
Get the app