Duplicações genômicas ajudaram plantas com flores a sobreviver a extinções em massa

Cópias extras de material genético parecem ter impulsionado a sobrevivência de plantas com flores durante as principais crises ambientais da Terra, incluindo o evento que dizimou os dinossauros.

Um estudo com 470 espécies de angiospermas encontrou 132 duplicações genômicas antigas que se agruparam em torno de nove períodos de convulsão entre 108 milhões e 14 milhões de anos atrás. Estes incluíram mudanças climáticas, alterações nos níveis de oxigênio e extinções em massa, como o impacto do asteroide há 66 milhões de anos no final do período Cretáceo.

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