Since Mastodon is for nerds, I'm here to share a nerd thing. I'm interested in rose breeding, and one thing you have to account for there is ploidy, which can determine whether species can cross. There's a type of rose called dogroses (Rosa canina), often used in cooking, which has its own, unique and bizarre, pentaploid meiosis.
28 mom chromosomes, 7 dad chomosomes. The dad part is shuffled like normal. The mom part is only partially shuffled.
WHY DO THEY DO THIS?
I don't know that there's a good answer, and it's a very unusual strategy. You could argue well, you get the benefit of a combo approach, where your genes are mostly preserved but there's some sexual mixing. Or, it could be it's just a freak thing that happened after a chance hybridization long ago. What's interesting with something like this is it could be, like, an evolutionary path not taken, but which could've been dominant in a different timeline.
Dog rose! My favourite rose 🥰
@ZachWeinersmith
Several years ago I tried to get more into Biology with the german standard literature Schmeil-Fitschen.
At least it gave me a little more insights into nature and deepened my love to flora et fauna.
The dog rose tastes really nice. We used to make marmelade out of it. A really meditative and itchy job. 😁
Zach Weinersmith
Seiðr
Dr. Evan J. Gowan
Faraiwe
Eye
Desatyr
Colin Burgess
freedom