Hawaiian Plant Older than Previously Thought

An abundant Hawaiian plant, called Metrosideros, may have inhabited the islands earlier than previously thought. Researchers from the Smithsonian Institute showed that the plant could have existed soon after the islands formed, about 5 million years ago for the oldest ones. The study was published on April 16 in the Proceedings of the Royal Society B.

Metrosideros, commonly called ohi’a, is a dominant plant in Hawaii’s ecosystem. It has developed a complex symbiotic relationship with several birds, including the apapane, which pollinate the plant.

If ohi’a existed on the islands early on, as the new research indicates, it would have played a strong role in the evolutionary history of Hawaii’s flora and fauna.

--LiveScience Staff

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