From Tech Times.
A woodland fern in France developed from two plants from separate species which diverged 60 million years in the past. Genetic analysis revealed the heritage of the vegetative life form.
Normally, plants and animals from different species can not interbreed and create viable offspring, especially those separated for such vast periods of time. This hybridization is being compared to a human successfully mating with a lemur.
The fern was discovered in the Pyrenees Mountains in France, and brought to a nursery. There, researchers examined the plant, and extracted DNA for analysis. They found the unusual organism was a cross between a fragile fern and an oak fern. Although those two species are commonly found throughout the northern hemisphere, they have not interbred for 60 million years, researchers determined.
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