When a cell divides, its chromosomes are copied and then pulled apart so that each daughter cell receives a complete set of genetic material. Typically, the cell’s partitioning machinery connects to a single site on the chromosome called the centromere. These sites are among the most rapidly evolving parts of the genome, and have diverged greatly across species. Writing in Nature, Haase et al.1 and Helsen et al.2 reveal how new types of centromere can arise while maintaining the connections required for the genome to be inherited accurately. Access Nature and 54 other Nature Portfolio journals Get Nature+, our best-value online-access subscription $32.99 / 30 days cancel any time Subscribe to this journal Receive 51 print issues and online access $199.00 per year only $3.90 per issue Rent or buy this article Prices vary by article type from$1.95 to$39.95 Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-026-00629-2 Haase, M. A. B. et al.…