Molecular evolution of flower development

Flowers, as reproductive structures of the most successful group of land plants, have been a central focus of study for both evolutionists and ecologists. Recent advances in unravelling the genetics of flower development have provided insight into the evolution of floral structures among angiosperms. The study of the evolution of genes that control floral morphogenesis permits us to draw inferences on the diversification of developmental systems, the origin of floral organs and the selective forces that drive evolutionary change among these plant reproductive structures.