DNA duplication linked to the origin and evolution of pine trees and their relatives – Research News https://www.floridamuseum.ufl.edu/science/gymnosperm-origin-evolution/
Plants are DNA hoarders. Adhering to the maxim of never throwing anything out that might be useful later, they often duplicate their entire genome and hang on to the added genetic baggage. All those extra genes are then free to mutate and produce new physical traits, hastening the tempo of evolution
In each case, analyses revealed a strong link between duplicated DNA and the evolution