In 2013, a catastrophic volcanic eruption ravaged Nishinoshima, a remote island in the Pacific Ocean, located south of Japan. Yet, just six years later, plant life began to resurface, puzzling scientists and nature enthusiasts alike. The Volcanic Eruption: A Wipeout of All LifeNishinoshima, part of Japan’s Ogasawara Islands, has a history of volcanic activity, with eruptions occurring sporadically since the early 1970s. Photo a A distant view of Nishinoshima Island in 2019; b a population of P. oleracea on Nishinoshima; c P. oleracea on Nishinoshima. Over time, as these plants reproduced, they began to form a new lineage adapted to the volcanic island’s extreme conditions.