Molecular Plant Breeding 2024, Vol.15, No.3, 112-131 http://genbreedpublisher.com/index.php/mpb 115 Whole-genome duplications have also been identified as pivotal events in the family’s evolution. The discovery of an overlooked paleotetraploidization event suggests that genome duplications have played a crucial role in the establishment of the Cucurbitaceae family (Wang et al., 2017). Furthermore, phylotranscriptomic analyses have revealed multiple whole-genome duplications that coincide with bursts of diversification and morphological innovations, supporting the hypothesis that genetic diversity following polyploidizations has driven the adaptive evolution of the family (Figure 2) (Alverson et al., 2010; Guo et al., 2020). Figure 2 Diversification rate shifts and large-scale gene duplications in Cucurbitaceae (Adopted from Guo et al., 2020) Image caption: This phylogenetic tree illustrates the historical diversification rate shifts and large-scale gene duplications across the Cucurbitaceae family. Dark blue bars indicate species diversification rate shifts estimated by BAMM and MEDUSA, with branch colors representing the mean diversification rate (species/million years). Red dots numbered 1 to 4 mark the locations of four significant whole genome duplications (CucWGD1 to CucWGD4), with the percentages and numbers of duplicated gene families displayed adjacent to each dot. The right side lists the relevant genera and tribes, aligning with the branches they correspond to. The geological timeline is shown at the top and bottom of the figure, providing a temporal context for these evolutionary events (Adapted from Guo et al., 2020) This study by Guo et al. (2020) presents compelling evidence of whole genome duplications within the Cucurbitaceae family, which have played a pivotal role in the evolutionary history and diversification of this group. The identification of four major WGD events (CucWGD1 to CucWGD4) across different clades and tribes
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