A tiny fern has secured the Guinness World Record for having the largest genome of any living organism on Earth. When unravelled, the New Caledonian fork fern species Tmesipteris oblanceolata’s genome would reach about 328 feet, taller than the tower that holds the Big Ben bell and the Statue of Liberty. This is just about the DNA from one of the fern’s cells.
The genome or genetic material is a set of DNA instructions within a cell.
Found on New Caledonia in the Pacific Ocean and a few neighboring islands, the fern species belong to a primordial group of plants that evolved long before the dinosaurs set foot on the Earth.
Fern’s genome is 50 times longer than humans
This fern boasts three Guinness World Records: largest plant genome, largest genome overall, and largest fern genome, based on the amount of DNA within its nucleus.
The length of human DNA in each cell measures only about 2 meters, meaning the fern’s genome is 50 times longer than humans.
“To think this innocuous-looking fern boasts 50 times more DNA than humans is a humbling reminder that there’s still so much about the plant kingdom we don’t know, and that record holders aren’t always the showiest on the outside,” said Adam Millward of Guinness World Records.
Since 2010, the record was held by the Japanese flowering plant species Paris japonica.
Tmesipteris’ ancestors predate existence of dinosaurs
Researchers from the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, and the Institut Botànic de Barcelona (IBB-CSIC) in Spain, in their recent study, introduced the new record-holder after successfully extracting its genetic material.
“Tmesipteris is a unique and fascinating small genus of ferns, whose ancestors evolved about 350 million years ago—well before dinosaurs set foot on Earth,” said Dr. Jaume Pellicer, a researcher in evolutionary biology.
“It is distinguished by its mainly epiphytic habit [it grows mainly on the trunks and branches of trees] and restricted distribution in Oceania and several Pacific Islands.”
After collecting samples, researchers isolated the nuclei of thousands of cells and stained them with a dye.
Subsequently, they measured the amount of dye bound to the DNA within each nucleus, understanding that more dye indicated a larger genome. The analysis revealed that the species T. oblanceolata possessed a groundbreaking genome size of 160.45 Gbp, approximately 7% larger than that of P. japonica (148.89 Gbp), as reported by Phys.org.
Researchers earlier thought that it would be almost impossible to break the record of Paris japonica.
“Based on our previous research, we anticipated the existence of giant genomes in Tmesipteris. That said, discovering the largest genome of them all is not just a feat of scientific exploration, but the result of an almost fourteen-year journey into the boundless complexity and diversity of plant genomes,” said Pellicer, according to Phys.org.
The study was published in the journal iScience.
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Prabhat Ranjan Mishra Prabhat, an alumnus of the Indian Institute of Mass Communication, is a tech and defense journalist. While he enjoys writing on modern weapons and emerging tech, he has also reported on global politics and business. He has been previously associated with well-known media houses, including the International Business Times (Singapore Edition) and ANI.
Daisy Hips is a science communicator who brings the wonders of the natural world to readers. Her articles explore breakthroughs in various scientific disciplines, from space exploration to environmental conservation. Daisy is also an advocate for science education and enjoys stargazing in her spare time.
