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jrandoboi t1_irrt4bm wrote

That's a very interesting question. I found a link from Harvard that should explain it: https://harvardforest.fas.harvard.edu/leaves/biological

The red pigments are antioxidants that help protect the leaves from sunlight as the chlorophyll is drained. The bright colors can also attract animals to the less colorful fruits or deter insects from laying eggs on the leaves that could damage them. I never really thought about it before

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Team_Ed OP t1_irsahce wrote

Huh.

>>Not long ago the consensus was that autumn leaf colors were the result of the unmasking of the carotenoid or anthocyanin pigments, and could have no function. We now know that the anthocyanins are not un-masked, but are made.

According to this, these pigments are not there year-round at all.

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