Rose family study leads to new understanding of fruit diversity across geological time

Among flowering plants, the rose family (called Rosaceae) displays an incredible diversity, including classic reds like the American beauty. But in addition to ornamentals making the perfect romantic gift, the Rosaceae family also includes vital staples of worldwide diets and cash crop economies. They exhibit an extraordinary range of variation in the size and shapes of trees, bushes and succulent fruits, from strawberries and raspberries, to Jonathan apples, plums, cherries, and almonds, to mou