The study investigated the evolution of the rubisco large subunit (RbcL) across four plant clades using rbcL gene sequences, codon models, and protein structure predictions, finding widespread positive selection and convergent amino‑acid changes affecting side‑chain polarity. Phylogenetic comparative analyses linked higher protein stability to warmer growing‑season temperatures, though this relationship weakened after accounting for phylogeny.

The study combined whole‑genome resequencing of >200 Phaseolus vulgaris and 130 Phaseolus coccineus accessions with controlled long‑day phenotyping to dissect photoperiod‑sensitivity adaptation. Genome‑wide association and haplotype analyses revealed species‑specific selection on core photoperiod regulators and uncovered additional loci linked to flowering in European cultivars, illustrating convergent, stepwise genomic innovation during domestication and later European cultivation.

The study compared tissue‑specific transcriptomes of the Australian pitcher plant Cephalotus follicularis with existing data from the Asian pitcher plant Nepenthes gracilis to assess molecular convergence underlying their similar leaf morphologies. Both species showed overlapping gene expression in functionally equivalent tissues and shared transcriptional activation of amino‑acid metabolism and protein synthesis after feeding, while exhibiting distinct regulation of digestive enzyme genes and several cases of combined expression and protein‑sequence convergence in glandular tissues.