Ab initio nuclear theory provides not only a microscopic framework for quantitative description of the nuclear many-body system, but also a foundation for deeper understanding of emergent collective correlations. A symplectic Sp(3,R)⊃U(3) dynamical symmetry is identified in ab initio predictions, from a no-core configuration interaction approach, and found to provide a qualitative understanding of the spectrum of ^{7}Be. Low-lying states form an Elliott SU(3) spectrum, while an Sp(3,R) excitation gives rise to an excited rotational band with strong quadrupole connections to the ground state band.
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