Researchers from Cornell University have found that wildflower populations survived California's worst dry spell in the past 1,200 years, during which they believe they relied on a type of rapid genetic evolution. The researchers studied 55 populations of the Mimulus cardinalis for eight years and found evidence of a rapid evolution across the genome. While the species was not at risk of extinction, individual flower populations likely saw declines of up to 90% compared to peak population sizes. This rapid comeback is a process known as evolutionary rescue, which occurs when a species recovers from extinction by external factors such as a drought. The study suggests that the scarlet monkeyflower, a perennial herb that regrows each season from the same roots, survived the intense drought.