Lightning strikes may kill hundreds of millions of trees every year, but one tropical tree has evolved to benefit from the ...

The study's subject was the tonka bean tree (Dipteryx oleifera) growing in the lowland rainforests of Panama. Researchers noted that, unlike other giant trees, this species did not get destroyed by ...

Lightning is often seen as a killer, leaving behind destruction and death of trees — but one tropical species has evolved to use the force of nature to its benefit. The tonka bean tree ...

Hundreds of millions of trees suffer this fate every year. But the opposite appears to be the case for the towering tonka bean tree (Dipteryx oleifera), a native of the rainforests of Panama that ...

But in the lowland rainforests of Panama, one species of towering tropical tree may have evolved to use this force of nature to its advantage. The tonka bean tree (Dipteryx oleifera) may actually ...

Infographic showing the impact of lightning strikes on Tonka bean trees compared to surrounding large trees. Image: Evan Gora et al., 2025 As lightning clears away the competition, the Tonka bean ...

The tonka bean tree (Dipteryx oleifera) may have evolved a unique advantage by withstanding lightning strikes that harm neighboring plants and parasitic vines, according to research published ...

FOX 13 Meteorologist Dave Osterberg explains why tonka bean trees in Panama can flourish when struck by lightning, leading to additional research to find out if other types of trees may also benefit ...

Tonka bean trees might make themselves into lightning rods to edge out the competition. Plus, Trump cuts threaten US scientific leadership in Antarctica and how to build a broader, more inclusive ...