JOURNAL ARTICLE

This unassuming fern has the largest known genome—and no one knows why.

  • Published In: Sciencemag.org, 2024. P. N.PAG 1 of 3

  • Database: Applied Science & Technology Source Ultimate 2 of 3

  • Authored By: Stimpson, Ashley 3 of 3

Abstract

The New Caledonian fork fern (Tmesipteris oblanceolate) has the largest genome ever discovered, containing 160 billion base pairs. This finding could help scientists understand how genomes grow and how they affect species' adaptability and survival. While plant genomes tend to be larger than mammalian genomes, there is no clear relationship between genome size and complexity. Researchers used flow cytometry to analyze the fern's genome and found that it contains a significant amount of repetitive, noncoding DNA sequences. The reason for the fern's massive genome is still unknown, but it is unlikely that many other organisms have genomes that are substantially larger. [Extracted from the article]

Additional Information

  • Source:Sciencemag.org. 2024/05, pN.PAG
  • Document Type:Article
  • Subject Area:Health and Medicine
  • Publication Date:2024
  • Accession Number:177607326
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