autodiploid

An autodiploid is an organism that is diploid for all of its chromosomes, but where the two sets of chromosomes originated from a single ancestral diploid. This is in contrast to an allodiploid, where the two sets of chromosomes come from different ancestral species. Autodiploidy arises through the duplication of the entire chromosome set within a single species. This can occur spontaneously, for instance, due to errors during meiosis or mitosis. While allopolyploidy, the hybridization of different species followed by chromosome doubling, is a common mechanism for creating new species, autopolyploidy is less frequent as a speciation event. However, autodiploid individuals can exhibit novel traits due to the increased gene dosage and potential for heterozygosity. In some cases, autodiploidy can lead to increased size, vigor, or altered reproductive characteristics. Plants are more prone to polyploidy, including autodiploidy, than animals. Examples of autodiploids can be found in various plant species, although they are often less studied than their allopolyploid counterparts. The study of autodiploidy contributes to our understanding of genome evolution and the mechanisms of speciation.