Understanding Crop Circle Genetics

Linear or circular maps can be made that show the location of genes in relation to one another. Our circular genetic maps have helped us to understand how, during evolution of the different cereals, large blocks of genes have been moved around and the primeval cereal genome has been reorganised in different ways in the various modern cereal species.

The genetic maps of the cereals are arranged in concentric circles - the smallest map (rice) in the centre and the largest (wheat) on the outside. Other cereals and grasses can be included in this map e.g. sugarcane and oats.

The central ring of 12 blocks represents the 12 chromosomes of Rice.
o In each sector of the circle are equivalent blocks of genetic information from different species.
o Patterned areas indicate insufficient information is available about that region to include it on the map.

Indicates an 'inversion', this fragment has been flipped over during evolution.

Indicates a 'translocation', this fragment has been moved into the location indicated.

7.2 In Wheat the translocations are more complex and so are indicated by numbers. Arranging the fragment ends in number order generates a genome found in modern day wheat.

Triangles indicate 'telomeres'. These are special fragments of DNA that form the ends of chromosomes.

C Indicates the 'centromeres', a specialised region of the chromosome that is important in cell division