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Formation of Species

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Speciation describes the formation of one or more new species from one or sometimes multiple original species. The resulting species are discrete from the parent species, and barriers to reproduction will typically exist. There are two primary mechanisms, speciation with and without geographic isolation—allopatric and sympatric speciation, respectively.

Frequency-dependent Selection

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When the fitness of a trait is influenced by how common it is (i.e., its frequency) relative to different traits within a population, this is referred to as frequency-dependent selection. Frequency-dependent selection may occur between species or within a single species. This type of selection can either be positive—with more common phenotypes having higher fitness—or negative, with rarer phenotypes conferring increased fitness.

Morphogenesis

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Gene Flow

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Background and Environment Affect Phenotype

Although the genetic makeup of an organism plays a major role in determining the phenotype, there are also several environmental factors, such as temperature, oxygen availability, presence of mutagens, that can alter an organism’s phenotype.
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Related Experiment Video

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Non-radioactive in situ Hybridization Protocol Applicable for Norway Spruce and a Range of Plant Species

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Published on: April 17, 2009

Genetic changes associated with floral adaptation restrict future evolutionary potential.

Rebecca A Zufall¹, Mark D Rausher

¹Department of Biology, Box 90338, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina 27708, USA. bzufall@smith.edu

|April 23, 2004

Summary

Evolutionary adaptation can lead to irreversible loss of traits. In morning glories, the shift from blue to red flowers shows initial gene pathway degeneration, making trait re-evolution unlikely.

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Area of Science:

Evolutionary biology
Genetics
Plant science

Background:

Adaptive evolutionary change often constrains future evolutionary trajectories.
Dollo's law posits that character elimination is irreversible, a phenomenon observed in phylogenetic studies.
The genetic underpinnings of evolutionary irreversibility, particularly pathway degeneration, remain largely unexplored.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the genetic mechanisms underlying evolutionary irreversibility.
To examine the initial stages of pathway degeneration following adaptive trait loss.
To understand how gene network interactions contribute to evolutionary constraints.

Main Methods:

Phylogenetic analysis of phenotypic transitions.
Examination of gene product interactions within biochemical pathways.
Identification of redundant loss-of-function mutations in degenerated pathways.

Main Results:

Observed initial stages of degeneration in the anthocyanin pigment pathway in Ipomoea quamoclit.
Documented an adaptive shift from blue to red flower pigmentation.
Hypothesized that inactivation of single genes in a network can lead to irreversible character loss due to accumulated mutations in other genes.

Conclusions:

Adaptive changes, such as flower color shifts, can initiate irreversible pathway degeneration.
The accumulation of loss-of-function mutations in gene networks makes re-evolution of lost traits highly improbable.
This study provides an example of evolutionary constraints driven by genetic pathway degeneration.