- A new study has uncovered the origins of baobabs famously found in Madagascar, also known as the ‘mother of the forest’, other species of these trees are native to Africa and Australia.
- They are also called ‘upside down’ trees because their tops resemble an uprooted plant turned upside down.
- Baobabs are known for their great heights, with some extending up to 50 metres, and exceptionally long lifespans going up to 2,000 years.
| The Rise of Baobab Trees in Madagascar A new study is based on genomic analyses of all eight recognised species. The trees belong to the genus Adansonia.The baobab lineage originated in Madagascar roughly 21 million years ago and reached Africa and Australia in the past 12 million years. Two baobab lineages went extinct in Madagascar, but not before establishing elsewhere, one in Africa (Adansonia digitata) and one in Australia (Adansonia gregorii).Three Madagascar species of the baobab trees are threatened with extinction according to the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.The Indian Ocean gyre, which is an oceanic current that circulates south past Madagascar, where it picked up baobab seed pods to eventually end up in Australia.The current then circulates north and then swings west past Mauritius and to Africa once again, where it completes the gyre. |
In India too, a few baobab trees exist, including one near the Golconda Fort in Andhra Pradesh that is believed to be more than 400 years old.
- Baobabs, found in dry savannah habitats, provide food, shelter and nesting sites for wildlife. It is a dry deciduous tree.
- Their fruits also provide nutrients and medicines for people, and the leaves are edible.
- The trees produce large, sweet-smelling flowers whose sugary nectar attracts nocturnal pollinators as well as two types of primates, lemurs in Madagascar and bush babies in Africa.
- The seed oil used for cooking and the bark fibre for clothing.
- The root systems are also massive and are considered to play an important ecological role, helping to slow down soil erosion and enabling nutrient recycling.
Dig Deeper: What threats do Baobab species face?
