Dinosaurs and Tomatoes

Yesterday morning, those two words shared a teaser in our local newspaper. I mean, really, dinosaurs and tomatoes? My teacher antennae were literally sparking by the time I found the related article. Now I can’t say that I fully understood the entire piece of writing. It was loaded up with what I like to call scientific mumbo jumbo quoting results published in the journal Nature. However, what I did learn is stuff that makes teaching and learning fun, fun, fun!

  • A tomato has about 7,000 more genes than a person. This additional DNA may explain why tomatoes survived the catastrophe that wiped out the dinosaurs!
  • Tomatoes and potatoes are close cousins.
  • The tomato, though labeled a fruit by botanists, is officially a vegetable, according to a US Supreme Court ruling made many eons ago.

Dinosaurs and tomatoes? Yes sirree! I love learning, don’t you? 🙂

Happy June!
Diane


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