Researchers have found that the level of conservation of the tulip tree has redefined our interpretation of evolution of flowering plants.
The plant has a remarkably slow mutation rate meaning that its mitochondrial genome has remained largely unchanged since dinosaurs roamed the earth.
Researchers from Indiana University and University of Arkansas discovered that compared to humans, their mutation is 2,000 times slower. The amount of genomic change in a single human generation would take 50,000 years for the tulip tree.
Read more at Indiana University and University of Arkansas