Friday, July 3, 2026
Science

Plant DNA harbors virus 'fossils' that reflect 300 million years of evolution

Is it possible to study the history of viruses that emerged several hundred million years ago? An international team of INRAE and CIRAD researchers answered this question by exploring plant genomes to find the molecular fossils of viruses. The work is published in the journal PLOS Pathogens.

Plant DNA harbors virus 'fossils' that reflect 300 million years of evolution
Image: Phys.org
Is it possible to study the history of viruses that emerged several hundred million years ago? An international team of INRAE and CIRAD researchers answered this question by exploring plant genomes to find the molecular fossils of viruses. The work is published in the journal PLOS Pathogens.

Originally published at Phys.org

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