Whole-genome duplication (WGD, or polyploidy) is a common and frequent occurrence in plants, providing raw genetic material for evolution. Homoeologs (duplicate genes from a WGD) often diverge in expression levels, while some still maintain similar (balanced) expression levels between the two copies even after tens of millions of years. Whole-genome duplication (WGD, or polyploidy) is a common and frequent occurrence in plants, providing raw genetic material for evolution. Homoeologs (duplicate genes from a WGD) often diverge in expression levels, while some still maintain similar (balanced) expression levels between the two copies even after tens of millions of years. Plants & Animals Molecular & Computational biology Phys.org – latest science and technology news stories