Today marks a huge milestone in conservation: the full DNA sequence of an endangered species has been published in a scientific journal for the first time ever. The species in question is the butternut tree, a deciduous tree native to eastern North America that has been threatened by an invasive fungal pathogen since the 1990s. Scientists have now sequenced the entire genome of the butternut tree, which could pave the way for the development of new strategies to help protect and conserve the species. With this new information, scientists are now able to identify genetic markers to help distinguish between disease-resistant and susceptible trees, which could be key to the long-term survival of the species.

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source: Phys.org