Divine Design: The Fern with the World’s Largest Genome

Our journey takes us to the mysterious island of New Caledonia, where scientists have discovered a fern with the longest genome of any living organism. Dr. Ilia Leitch, a leading researcher in this field from the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, emphasizes the importance of this discovery. She points out that plants, despite their apparent simplicity, have a profound and often underestimated genetic diversity. New research shows that the genome size of this fork fern species is estimated to be more than 50 times the size of a human genome. “And it breaks all previous records. So, it’s a really exciting study for understanding, really, biology at its limits.”

DNA is arranged into chromosomes, and humans have 23 pairs of chromosomes in each cell, but this fern has an incredible 416 pairs. Some might think that a larger genome would make an organism more advanced. However, the reality is quite different. “But a large genome is not necessarily considered beneficial.” “Well, our most recent research is actually showing that, perhaps not surprisingly, species with bigger genomes are at greater risk of extinction.” This highlights the importance of understanding genome size and its impact on species resilience in a rapidly changing world. Dr. Ilia Leitch emphasizes that genome size influences more than just the organism’s genetics – it impacts how plants interact with their environment, compete for resources, These findings highlight the urgent need to preserve biodiversity and to consider the implications of genome size in conservation strategies.