Genome Size Covaries More Positively with Propagule Size than Adult Size: New Insights into an Old Problem.

ABSTRACT: The body size and (or) complexity of organisms is not uniformly related to the amount of genetic material (DNA) contained in each of their cell nuclei ('genome size'). This surprising mismatch between the physical structure of organisms and their underlying genetic information appears to relate to variable accumulation of repetitive DNA sequences, but why this variation has evolved is little understood. Here, I show that genome size correlates more positively with egg size than adult size in crustaceans. I explain this and comparable patterns observed in other kinds of animals and plants as resulting from genome size relating strongly to cell size in most organisms, which should also apply to single-celled eggs and other reproductive propagules with relatively few cells that are pivotal fi

SUBMITTER: Glazier DS 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8067107 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature