Genomics study reveals how endangered island oaks exhibit contrasting evolutionary paths

Researchers have conducted a conservation genomics study on two critically endangered island oaks—Quercus bawanglingensis and Quercus pseudosetulosa. They assembled high-quality chromosome-level genomes and revealed how natural selection and demographic history have shaped their markedly different genomic architectures. The study, led by Prof. Wang Baosheng at the South China Botanical Garden (SCBG) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), was recently published in The Plant Journal.