  One of the main material properties altered by rare earth additions in
magnesium alloys is texture, which can be specifically adjusted to enhance
ductility and formability. The current study aims at illuminating the texture
selection process in a Mg-0.073at%Gd-0.165at%Zn alloy by investigating
recrystallization nucleation and early nucleus growth during static
recrystallization. An as-cast sample of the investigated alloy was deformed in
uniaxial compression at 200{\deg}C till 40% strain and was then cut into two
halves for subsequent microstructure characterization via ex-situ and quasi
in-situ EBSD investigations. In order to gain insights into the evolution of
texture during recrystallization, the contributions from dynamic and static
recrystallization were initially separated and the origin of the non-basal
orientation of recrystallization nuclei was traced back to several potential
nucleation sites within the deformed matrix. Considering the significant role
of double-twin band recrystallization in determining the recrystallization
texture, this type of recrystallization nucleation was further investigated via
quasi-in-situ EBSD on a deformed sample, annealed at 400{\deg} for different
annealing times. With progressive annealing a noticeable trend was observed, in
which the basal nuclei gradually diminished and eventually vanished from the
annealed microstructure. In contrast, the off-basal nuclei exhibited continuous
growth, ultimately becoming the dominant contributors to the recrystallization
texture. The study therefore emphasizes the importance of particular nucleation
sites that generate favorably oriented off-basal nuclei, which over the course
of recrystallization outcompete the neighboring basal-oriented nuclei in terms
of growth, and thereby dominate the recrystallization texture.
