Testing big evolutionary hypotheses with small organisms Ghent University
Polyploids, organisms that underwent a whole genome duplication (WGD), possess one extra copy of their genome, which is free to evolve new functionality. Many WGDs are accordingly found in very successful eukaryotic lineages characterized by particular biological innovations and/or diversifications. However, the possession of two complete genomes is generally not well tolerated by cells leading to harmful effects on the overall fitness and ...