ArticleNature ecology & evolution2026
CAM photosynthesis may have conferred an advantage during the Permian-Triassic mass extinction event.
Article in Nature ecology & evolution, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.
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1 citing paper in PubMed.
- Flexible photosynthesis at the end Permian.Nature ecology & evolution · 2026Article
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11 authors.
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Abstract
The Permian-Triassic mass extinction represents the most severe loss of biodiversity in Earth history and profoundly reorganized terrestrial ecosystems. On land, this crisis was followed by a marked floral turnover, with herbaceous lycophytes dominating Early Triassic vegetation. Here we show that these pioneer (so-called disaster) taxa that rapidly colonized stressed post-extinction environments, possessed specialized physiological traits that promoted survival under extreme conditions. Independent phylogenetic analyses show that Early Triassic lycophytes are closely related to modern Isoetales, a group characterized by exceptional ecophysiological flexibility. Their carbon isotope signatures resemble those of extant Isoetes that use crassulacean acid metabolism (CAM) photosynthesis, indicating a similar physiological strategy in deep time. Coupling these results with climate simulations suggests that CAM photosynthesis could have conferred a substantial advantage under Early Triassic super greenhouse conditions. Together, our findings identify CAM physiology as a potential mechanism enabling plant survival and ecosystem recovery following Earth's largest mass extinction.
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