Scientists have unlocked new insights into one of Earth’s oldest surviving plant groups, offering clues about how plants first conquered land. A global research team, led by the Boyce Thompson Institute (BTI) at Cornell University, has decoded the genetic blueprints of hornworts – small, ancient plants that have survived for over 450 million years. The study, published in Nature Plants, reveals hornworts have maintained remarkably stable chromosomes despite evolving separately for more than 300 million years. This finding challenges common patterns seen in other plants, which typically undergo genetic material duplication over time. “What we found was unexpected: hornworts have … Continue reading Hornwort Genomes Reveal 450-Million-Year Plant Evolution Secrets