Twelve years ago, a volcanic eruption almost totally wiped out life on an island in the Pacific. Now, in the wake of the devastation, scientists are using genetic analysis to see how flora managed to bounce back on the scarred island. The rest of this article is behind a paywall. Please sign in or subscribe to access the full content.

Nishinoshima, a volcanic island around 1,000 kilometers (620 miles) south of the Japanese capital Tokyo, has seen a handful of eruptions since recording began in the early 1970s.

One of the most momentous events started in November 2013 when lava began erupting out of a vent on the seafloor just southeast of the island. As the molten rock cooled and solidified, it formed a tiny new island that eventually engulfed the original landmass with fresh loads of

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