Discovery made by international team of researchers through dye binding measurement.
Fern is part of primordial group of plants that evolved before dinosaurs and has no roots, growing on tree bark.
New Caledonia fern Tmesipteris oblanceolata holds the record for largest genome among living organisms with approximately 160 billion base pairs of DNA.
In a groundbreaking discovery, scientists have found that a tiny fern named Tmesipteris oblanceolata, which is only found in New Caledonia and a few neighboring islands, holds the record for the largest genome among all living organisms. The fern's genome contains approximately 160 billion base pairs of DNA, which is 50 times more than what humans have.
The discovery was made by a team of international researchers who extracted genetic material from specimens collected in New Caledonia and measured the dye binding to determine the genome size. The fern now holds three Guinness World Records for having the largest genome, largest plant genome, and largest fern genome.
Tmesipteris oblanceolata is a part of a primordial group of plants that evolved before dinosaurs and little is known about the ancient group to which this fern belongs. The fern has no roots and grows on the bark of trees, making it an intriguing subject for further study.
The scientists are now hoping to understand how this enormous genome affects function and might influence extinction risk. They also want to find out why some plants have big genomes while others do not.
This discovery is a reminder that there is still much about the natural world that we don't know, and record holders aren't always the most obvious or showy.
Tmesipteris oblanceolata is a fern found in a forest on an island east of Australia.
Jaume Pellicer and his team discovered that Tmesipteris oblanceolata has the largest known genome on Earth.
The cells of Tmesipteris oblanceolata contain more than 50 times as much DNA as human cells do.
Accuracy
A fern named Tmesipteris oblanceolate, found in New Caledonia, holds the record for the largest genome among all living organisms with 160 billion base pairs of DNA.
The genome of this fern is so large that when unravelled it would reach approximately 100 metres in length.
Tmesipteris oblanceolate is a fern found in New Caledonia that holds the record for the largest genome among living organisms with approximately 160 billion base pairs of DNA.
This fern belongs to a primordial group of plants and is found only on New Caledonia and a few neighbouring islands. Little is known about the ancient group to which this fern belongs.
The genome size was determined through extraction of genetic material from specimens collected in New Caledonia and measurement of dye binding.
This fern has no roots and grows on the bark of trees.
Accuracy
The genome of this fern is so large that when unravelled, it would reach about 100 metres in length.
This fern belongs to a primordial group of plants and is found only on New Caledonia and a few neighbouring islands.
Little is known about the ancient group to which this fern belongs.
Deception
(100%)
None Found At Time Of
Publication
Fallacies
(85%)
The article contains a few informal fallacies and an example of inflammatory rhetoric. It also uses a quote out of context in a dichotomous depiction. The author states that the fern's DNA is 'a crazy amount for a tiny plant', implying surprise or incredulity, which is an informal fallacy known as an appeal to emotion. Additionally, the author quotes Dr. Ilia Leitch as questioning how the fern functions and survives with such a large amount of DNA, setting up a false dichotomy between function and size. The quote suggests that the fern's massive genome is somehow problematic or inexplicable when it may simply be an adaptation to its environment. Lastly, the author uses inflammatory rhetoric when describing New Caledonia as 'mountainous', which could imply difficulty or hardship, though this is not directly supported by the article. These fallacies reduce the overall quality of the article, but it still contains valuable information and does not employ any formal logical fallacies.
The plant's genetic material... would reach about 100 metres when unravelled, outstripping Big Ben.
It's a crazy amount of DNA for a tiny plant that most people would walk by without noticing.
The fern now holds three Guinness World Records for the largest genome, largest plant genome and largest fern genome.
Tmesipteris oblanceolata holds the record for the largest genome of any living organism.
The DNA in a single cell of Tmesipteris oblanceolata is as tall as the Statue of Liberty.
Tmesipteris oblanceolata's genome contains 50 times more DNA than a human cell.
Accuracy
Tmesipteris oblanceolata’s genome contains 50 times more DNA than a human cell.
This fern has no roots and grows on the bark of trees.
Deception
(100%)
None Found At Time Of
Publication
Fallacies
(95%)
The author makes an appeal to authority by quoting Ilia Leitch, a scientist at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. The author also uses inflammatory rhetoric when stating that the discovery raises 'many new and exciting questions about the upper limits of what is biologically possible.' However, no formal or dichotomous fallacies were found.
]Who would have thought this tiny, unassuming plant that most people would likely walk past without notice, could bear a world-beating record in genome size[
This discovery also raises many new and exciting questions about the upper limits of what is biologically possible, and we hope to solve these mysteries one day.
A fern named Tmesipteris oblanceolate, found in New Caledonia, holds the record for the largest genome among all living organisms with 160 billion base pairs of DNA.
This fern belongs to a primordial group of plants that evolved before dinosaurs and is only found on New Caledonia and a few neighbouring islands.
Little is known about the ancient group to which this fern belongs.
Accuracy
The genome size was determined through extraction of genetic material from specimens collected in New Caledonia and measurement of dye binding.
This fern has no roots and grows on the bark of trees.
Deception
(100%)
None Found At Time Of
Publication
Fallacies
(95%)
No informal fallacies found. Some exaggeration and imprecise language used. Dichotomous depiction and appeal to authority present.
. . . a "crazy" amount of DNA for a tiny plant that most people would walk by without noticing.
The fern, known as Tmesipteris oblanceolate, belongs to a primordial group of plants that evolved long before the dinosaurs set foot on the earth.
In the study, published in the journal iScience, international researchers extracted genetic material from specimens collected in New Caledonia.
