Did you know that one of the most extraordinary records in the natural world is held by a tiny fern? 🌿 Meet Tmesipteris oblanceolata, a small fork fern discovered on the remote Pacific island of New Caledonia, which now holds three Guinness World Record titles for having the largest genome of any organism on Earth! 🏆
If we were to unravel the DNA packed inside the nucleus of this little plant's cells, it would stretch over 100 meters—taller than London's iconic Big Ben tower! 🏰 In comparison, if we did the same with human DNA, it would only reach around 2 meters, about the height of your average door. 🚪
This means that the New Caledonian fern has over 50 times more DNA than we humans do. Mind-blowing, right? 🤯 Scientists are fascinated by how such a tiny plant can store so much genetic information. It's like having an entire library squeezed into a pocket-sized notebook! 📚📝
The discovery of Tmesipteris oblanceolata not only breaks records but also opens up new questions about the complexity of plant life and evolution. Who knew that big things could come in such small packages? 🌟
Reference(s):
Record-breaking tiny fern has largest genome of any organism on Earth
cgtn.com
