Why woodiness repeatedly evolves--and disappears
Kasper P. Hendriks, Ihsan Ali Al-Shehbaz, Dmitry A. German, Мarcus A. Koch, Lydia van Slooten, Carlijn Kusse, Lisa J M A Dominicus, Marit Kuijt, Lila E. Trepp, Sander van Zon, Elena Castillo-Lorenzo, Barış Özüdoğru, Andreas Berger, Michael D. Windham, Leopoldo Medina, , Frederic Lens
The paper investigates the evolution and reversal of woodiness in flowering plants, finding that drought supports persistence while reduced frost drives gains and increased frost leads to loss.
bioRxiv · Sep 8, 2026 · PreprintEvolutionary Biology