Tiny Fern Boasts World's Largest Genome

Tmesipteris oblanceolata's 160 billion base pairs challenge scientific understanding of genome size.

The fern's genome is over 50 times larger than the human genome, with 160 billion base pairs.
This discovery surpasses the previous record held by the plant Paris japonica by 11 billion base pairs.
Researchers collected samples from New Caledonia to analyze the genome size.
The large genome raises questions about the evolutionary advantages and biological limits of such size.
The findings could provide insights into plant resilience and adaptation to environmental changes.