February 20, 2018
For the first time, scientists are mapping the coast redwood’s genome, a genetic code 12 times larger than that of a human being. By the end of the year, scientists hope to have mapped the complete genome of the coast redwood and of the giant sequoia, a close cousin that also is among the tallest trees in the world, some reaching hundreds of feet high. The genetic code of a single 1,300-year-old redwood from a stand just north of here and of a same-age sequoia will serve as baselines and the first step in better understanding how to make these forests more genetically diverse as a defense against rising man-made threats.
Source: Washington Post
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/national/wp/2018/02/07/feature/as-climate-changes-threaten-californias-giant-redwoods-the-key-to-their-salvation-might-be-within-them/?utm_term=.3284febf7690