Main conclusion Plants lacking shoot apical meristem develop with unique body shapes, suggesting rewiring of developmental genes. This loss of the meristem is likely influenced by a combination of environmental factors and evolutionary pressures. Abstract This study explores the development of plant bodies in three families (Podostemaceae, Lemnaceae, and Gesneriaceae) where the shoot apical meristem (SAM), a key structure for...

Berry's Creek is an urban tidal estuary of the Hackensack River (New Jersey, U.S.A.), with over 10 km of waterways and over 3 km 2 of tidal marsh. More than a century of industrial activity has resulted in elevated contaminant concentrations in sediment, water, and biota. Mercury, methyl mercury, and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) have been identified as the primary chemicals of concern (COCs) due to their persistence and bi...