Stephen Smith, Brown University (IMAGE) Brown University Caption Botanists had long thought that new species proliferate soon after plants developed a new physical trait. Stephen Smith and colleagues have shown that plants may bide their time for undergoing major speciation. Credit Mike Cohea, Brown University Usage Restrictions None License Licensed content Disclaimer: AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert system.