Evolution is the basis of biological diversity, driven by mechanisms that allow organisms to adapt and survive. One such mechanism is polyploidy, where organisms carry extra copies of their ...

Wheat, potatoes and strawberries, among many others, are polyploid. There are two forms of polyploidy: autopolyploidy and allopolyploidy.

The team’s findings suggest that polyploidy can be both, a barrier and a driver of evolutionary change, depending on how innovative evolution is required to adapt to the environment.