Studying plant evolution with cutting-edge technology
Discover the cutting-edge DNA technology now used to uncover the secrets of life.
Join plant researcher Harald Schneider in this video as he reveals the tools he uses to help him understand how plants evolved and the impact of climate change on plant evolution.
‘The moment in which plants successfully colonised the land was one of the major events in the history of life. Without this event we would not be here today, because plants provide us with oxygen and food,’ says Harald Schneider.
Harald Schneider’s research
Harald Schneider is studying the evolution of land plants, focusing on plants that don’t produce seeds - such as ferns and liverworts.
His research aims to decipher the processes and mechanisms that have shaped the history of land plants. Green algae, which are the ancestors of modern land plants, started the colonisation of the land more than 470 million years ago.
He is currently looking at the impact of climatic fluctuations - such as the Pleistocene glaciations and the Eocene temperature peak - on the tree of life.
Harald is widely seen as one of the leading experts in fern evolution.
