Plants Survived Mass Extinctions by Duplicating Their Genomes
Researchers from the University of Ghent have discovered that plants survived major historical extinction events, such as the meteorite impact 66 million years ago and the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum, by doubling their genomes. This process, known as polyploidy, involves multiplying the number of chromosomes in cell nuclei. The study, published in the journal Cell, analyzed the genomes of 470 flowering plant species and dated 132 past instances of polyploidy. Results indicated a significant increase in genome duplication during periods of massive environmental stress and mass extinction, whereas stable periods saw less occurrence. Polyploid plants often exhibit larger cells and enhanced physiological resilience to stresses like drought and salt, although they require more nutrients. While previously considered an evolutionary dead-end, genome duplication is now recognized as a crucial survival mechanism. The findings offer hope for contemporary flora, suggesting that modern plants might similarly utilize genome duplication to adapt to current human-induced climate change, which parallels the intensity and speed of ancient warming events.
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Plants Survived Mass Extinctions by Duplicating Their Genomes
Researchers from the University of Ghent have discovered that plants survived major historical extinction events, such as the meteorite impact 66 million years ago and the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum, by doubling their genomes. This process, known as polyploidy, involves multiplying the number of chromosomes in cell nuclei. The study, published in the journal Cell, analyzed the genomes of 470 flowering plant species and dated 132 past instances of polyploidy. Results indicated a significant increase in genome duplication during periods of massive environmental stress and mass extinction, whereas stable periods saw less occurrence. Polyploid plants often exhibit larger cells and enhanced physiological resilience to stresses like drought and salt, although they require more nutrients. While previously considered an evolutionary dead-end, genome duplication is now recognized as a crucial survival mechanism. The findings offer hope for contemporary flora, suggesting that modern plants might similarly utilize genome duplication to adapt to current human-induced climate change, which parallels the intensity and speed of ancient warming events.
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