What would a world without flowers be like?
The dinosaurs knew the answer to that question, as they lived in an age before the evolution of angiosperms, the flowering plants.
Angiosperms are the most diverse group of land plants on Earth today, and include not only all the plants whose blooms we appreciate, like roses, but all our deciduous trees and grasses, and grains--corn, rice, and wheat.
Paleontologists have modeled the flower-less Earth scenario, and found that an Earth without flowers would not only be less colorful, but it would be hotter and drier, as the leaves from angiosperms add a significant amount of water vapor to the atmosphere through the process of transpiration.
Moisture impacts biodiversity as well, and a flower-less Earth would have fewer species of plants and animals. Angiosperms add more than just color to our lives
More information on a world without angiosperms, and a link to the original research here.
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