Serpentine rock soil is dry and low in nutrients, and usually contains heavy metal elements such as nickel and chromium that are toxic to most species  Researchers have found that a population of Arabidopsis plants grow in serpentine rock soil, which is bad for them  It is said that it is a very extreme environment  Some researchers have analyzed the genes of this Arabidopsis plant and believe that they have borrowed some beneficial genes from the relatives that grow nearby to help them cope with the extreme environment
It has not been seen that this species of Arabidopsis plant grown in non-serpentine rock soil has obtained genetic variation through genetic modification to adapt to the environment
 However, some opponents believe that this Arabidopsis plant adapts to the environment by obtaining genetic variation through the original genetic variation