Convergent evolution of sex chromosomes in two palm species, Phoenix dactylifera and Kerriodoxa elegans.

Backgrounds And Aims: In palms, many dioecious species have emerged from at least 8 independent events; the mechanisms of sex determination remain poorly understood. Here, we identify and compare the sex chromosomes of Kerriodoxa elegans with those of the well-studied date palm (Phoenix dactylifera), which evolved dioecy independently from a monoclinous common ancestor.

Methods: We developed target sequence capture kits and inferred sex-linked genes using a probabilistic approach in both species.

Allopolyploidy: An Underestimated Driver in Evolution.

Allopolyploidy is considered as a principal driver that shaped angiosperms' evolution in terms of diversification and speciation. Despite the unexpected high frequency of polyploidy that was recently discovered in the coniferous genus , little is known about the origin of these polyploid taxa. Here, we conducted the first study devoted to deciphering the origin of the only hexaploid taxon in along with four of its closely related tetraploid taxa using AFLP markers with four primers combinations.

The evolution of the hypotetraploid genome - the poorly known sister species of .

The establishment of as the most important plant model has also brought other crucifer species into the spotlight of comparative research. While the genus has become a prominent crucifer model system, its closest relative has been overlooked. The unispecific genus is native to temperate Eurasian woodlands, from eastern Europe to the Russian Far East.

Tapping into non-English-language science for the conservation of global biodiversity.

The widely held assumption that any important scientific information would be available in English underlies the underuse of non-English-language science across disciplines. However, non-English-language science is expected to bring unique and valuable scientific information, especially in disciplines where the evidence is patchy, and for emergent issues where synthesising available evidence is an urgent challenge. Yet such contribution of non-English-language science to scientific communities and the application of science is rarely quantified.

Evolutionary history of two rare endemic conifer species from the eastern Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.

Background And Aims: Understanding the population genetics and evolutionary history of endangered species is urgently needed in an era of accelerated biodiversity loss. This knowledge is most important for regions with high endemism that are ecologically vulnerable, such as the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau (QTP).

Methods: The genetic variation of 84 juniper trees from six populations of Juniperus microsperma and one population of Juniperus erectopatens, two narrow-endemic junipers from the QTP that are sister to each other, was surveyed using RNA-sequencing data.