Centromeres play virtually the same central role across the entire tree of life: They ensure the faithful segregation of chromosomes during cell division. Yet the striking diversity in centromere architecture—from large, repeat-rich DNA arrays to the minimalistic "point" centromeres in yeast—combined with their rapid evolution has puzzled scientists for decades.

Centromeres play virtually the same central role across the entire tree of life: They ensure the faithful segregation of chromosomes during cell division. Yet the striking diversity in centromere architecture—from large, repeat-rich DNA arrays to the minimalistic “point” centromeres in yeast—combined with their rapid evolution has puzzled scientists for decades.

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