Updated
Updated · NPR · May 19
Plants With Extra Chromosome Sets May Better Survive Climate Change
Updated
Updated · NPR · May 19

Plants With Extra Chromosome Sets May Better Survive Climate Change

8 articles · Updated · NPR · May 19
  • Certain plants with extra sets of chromosomes appear better equipped to survive major environmental shocks, including climate change.
  • Those added chromosome sets give some species a genetic advantage that can improve resilience when conditions shift dramatically.
  • The finding points to polyploidy—a trait already present in some plants—as a potential factor in which species persist through future climate stress.
If extra genes are a superpower for plants, why are they a death sentence for humans?
Could engineering 'super crops' create a food system that is only resilient during disasters?
Did the asteroid that killed the dinosaurs help create today's most important crops?