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Resolving the Stasis-Dynamism Paradox: Genome Evolution in Tree Ferns.

Zuoying Wei1,2,3,4,5, Hengchi Chen4,5, Chao Feng1,3,6

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Evolutionary stasis in ancient tree ferns is a dynamic equilibrium, not static. Genomic dynamism, including whole-genome duplication and transposable elements, drives adaptation and diversification while maintaining conserved morphology.

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ancient polyploidyevolutionary stasisgenome evolutionliving fossiltree fern

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Area of Science:

  • Evolutionary Biology
  • Genomics
  • Paleobotany

Background:

  • The persistence of morphologically static lineages (evolutionary stasis) despite environmental changes is a key unresolved question in evolutionary biology.
  • The Cyatheaceae family, an ancient tree fern lineage with Jurassic origins, exhibits remarkable morphological conservatism, making it an ideal model for studying stasis and dynamism.
  • Understanding the genomic mechanisms underlying long-term persistence and diversification in ancient lineages is crucial for evolutionary insights.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the genomic basis of evolutionary stasis and dynamism in the ancient tree fern family Cyatheaceae.
  • To explore the role of whole-genome duplication and transposable elements in the adaptation and diversification of tree ferns.
  • To elucidate the genetic mechanisms enabling morphological conservatism alongside adaptive evolution.

Main Methods:

  • Chromosome-scale genome sequencing of three ecologically divergent Cyatheaceae species.
  • Comparative genomic analysis to identify whole-genome duplication events and gene family expansions/contractions.
  • Analysis of transposable element activity, substitution rates, and gene expression patterns.

Main Results:

  • A shared whole-genome duplication event around 154 million years ago provided adaptive advantages, buffering against climate extremes and facilitating niche diversification.
  • Arborescent and nonarborescent lineages show lineage-specific retention of duplicated genes related to structural reinforcement (cell wall biogenesis) and metabolic resilience, respectively.
  • Cryptic genome dynamism, driven by transposable elements, causes genome size variation, chromosomal rearrangements, and localized innovation hotspots, despite slow overall substitution rates.

Conclusions:

  • Evolutionary stasis in tree ferns represents a dynamic equilibrium, maintained by regulatory plasticity and localized genomic innovation within a conserved morphological framework.
  • Genomic dynamism, particularly whole-genome duplication and transposable element activity, enables adaptive diversification while preserving overall morphological stasis in ancient lineages.
  • The study provides a novel genomic perspective on the long-term persistence and evolution of ancient plant groups, highlighting the interplay between genomic regulation and morphological conservatism.