Unlike humans, many plants have more than two sets of chromosomes. This trait may help them adapt to environmental upheaval, such as climate change.

SACHA PFEIFFER, HOST:

When Earth faces its next cataclysm, some plants appear to have a time-tested strategy to survive. Science reporter Ari Daniel has our story.

ARI DANIEL, BYLINE: Most people have two sets of chromosomes, one set from each parent, whereas...

YVES VAN DE PEER: Strawberries, for example, they have eight sets of chromosomes.

DANIEL: Yves Van de Peer is a plant biologist at Ghent University in Belgium. This phenomenon is called polyploidy, where an organism has more than two sets of chromosomes stuffed into every cell - in other words, a whole genome duplication. And it's pretty common actually, especially in plants.

VAN DE PEER: It's a mutational event.…