Abstract
Notwithstanding an average evolutionary increase of genome size in the higher plants due to activity of transposable elements, threatened plant species (those that are now on the brink of extinction) are shown here to have on average larger genomes than their more secure relatives, which indicates that redundant DNA in the plant genome might increase the likelihood of extinction. The effect is (at least partially) independent of the duration of the plant's life cycle. Polyploidy is found not to be associated with the increased risk of extinction. These data agree with the hypothesis of ‘selfish’ DNA and indicate an antagonism between different selection levels, thereby supporting the concept of hierarchical selection.
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