Two genomes can be better than one for evolutionary adaptation

Scientists have revealed how certain wild plants with naturally doubled ‘supergenomes’ can stay ahead of the game when it comes to adapting to climate volatility and hostile environments.

This world-first study, published in Nature Ecology and Evolution,could have significant implications for plant and crop sustainability in the face of climate change. 

The research team used a close relative of the native UK plant Arabidopsis, or thale cress, which can have either a single or a double genome. The findings provide the most solid evidence to date of the pervasive evolutionary effects of a doubled genome across an entire species range. 

The study is also the first to comprehensively test a century of evolutionary theory using new technologies to sequence hundreds of genomes. The work was led by Associate Professor of Evolutionary Genomics Levi Yant, from the University of Nottingham’s School of Life Sciences and Future Food Beacon.

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