Throughout human history, certain minerals have held immense power, shaping economies, societies, and entire civilizations. In this economic rocks series, John and Shannon discuss how essential minerals like salt, gold, and coal influenced historical events and continue to impact modern geopolitics. This week we start with salt and how it is essential to many aspects of our day to day.
Learn More
History of Salt in Ancient Civilizations (https://www.historycooperative.org/salt-history-ancient-civilizations/) - Learn how salt became an essential part of trade, diet, and religion in ancient China, Egypt, and Rome:contentReference[oaicite:0]{index=0}.
The Role of Salt in the Roman Empire (https://www.learnancientrome.com/importance-of-salt-in-ancient-rome) - Discover how the Roman Empire used salt as currency and a political tool to control its territories:contentReference[oaicite:1]{index=1}.
The Impact of the Salt Trade in West Africa (https://www.ancient-origins.net/salt-trade-west-africa) - Learn how salt was traded for gold and helped build the Ghana and Mali empires, creating a network of trade routes that shaped the region’s history:contentReference[oaicite:2]{index=2}.
Fun Paper Friday
This week's Fun Paper Friday features a study on the leaf-mimicking abilities of Boquila trifoliolata. The vine is capable of changing the shape and size of its leaves to resemble those of neighboring plants, potentially as a form of camouflage against herbivores. But the most surprising part? It can even mimic artificial plastic leaves. This finding challenges existing theories that leaf mimicry is driven solely by chemical signaling or genetic exchange between plants, suggesting instead that Boquila may possess a form of plant vision through specialized light-sensitive cells called “plant ocelli.” This discovery opens new possibilities for understanding plant sensory and adaptive behaviors.
White, J., & Yamashita, F. (2022). Boquila trifoliolata mimics leaves of an artificial plastic host plant. Plant Signaling & Behavior, 17(1), e1977530. (https://doi.org/10.1080/15592324.2021.1977530)
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Shannon Dulin
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