Some plants have a genetic superpower that may help them survive a cataclysm
Research indicates that some plants possess a genetic trait known as polyploidy, which allows them to have more than two sets of chromosomes. This genetic superpower may enhance their resilience during significant environmental changes, such as climate shifts. The findings suggest that polyploidy events are clustered during periods of environmental turmoil, helping these plants survive catastrophic events.
- ▪Many plants, including bananas, have more than two sets of chromosomes, a condition known as polyploidy.
- ▪Polyploidy may help plants survive extreme environmental stress, such as climate changes.
- ▪Research shows that genome duplications in plants are clustered during periods of environmental upheaval over the last 150 million years.
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| Original publisher | NPR Topics: News |
| Canonical URL | https://www.npr.org/2026/05/19/nx-s1-5825903/plants-polyploidy-genetics-climate-change |
| Publication time | Tue, 19 May 2026 07:00:00 -0400 |
| Retrieval time | 2026-05-19T11:04:57.554Z |
| Last seen | 2026-05-19T12:45:25.936Z |
| Headline source | Publisher (no WeSearch rewrite) |
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| Summary source text | contentText |
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| Publisher visit | Yes — open original |
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| Retrieval / RAG | May the content be exposed for third-party retrieval-augmented generation? | Not asserted |
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NPR Science LISTEN & FOLLOW NPR App Apple Podcasts Spotify Amazon Music iHeart Radio YouTube Music RSS link Science Some plants have a genetic superpower that may help them survive a cataclysm May 19, 20267:00 AM ET Ari Daniel Many plants, including many species of bananas, have more than two sets of chromosomes. This can make the species more resilient to major environmental catastrophe, researchers find. Wolfgang Kaehler/LightRocket/Getty Images hide caption toggle caption Wolfgang Kaehler/LightRocket/Getty Images Most people are diploid. That is, we have two sets of chromosomes — one set from each parent. But that's not always the case for other species, especially plants.
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Excerpt limited to ~120 words for fair-use compliance. The full article is at NPR Topics: News.
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