IMAGE: A vital
Euphorbia damarana shrub growing at the edge of a much larger fairy circle in the Brandberg region. The size distribution of the dead shrubs did not match the. view more
Credit: S Getzin, University of Göttingen
The fairy circles of the Namib are one of nature s greatest mysteries. Millions of these circular barren patches extend over vast areas along the margins of the desert in Namibia. In 1979, G.K. Theron published the first research about their origin. His hypothesis was that poisonous substances from
Euphorbia damarana leaves induced fairy circles. As part of a new study, scientists from the University of Göttingen and the Gobabeb Namib Research Institute located the original euphorbia plants that were part of Theron s study. Four decades later, the researchers are now able to conclusively disprove Theron s original hypothesis. Their results were published in the journal