Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 26, 2026
10:44
Inherent Dynamics Visualizer, an Interactive Application for Evaluating and Visualizing Outputs from a Gene Regulatory Network Inference Pipeline
Published on: December 7, 2021
The evolutionary dynamics of evolvability in a gene network model
1Department of Biology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA. jdraghi@gmail.com
Journal of Evolutionary Biology
|January 28, 2009
Summary
Natural selection can favor evolvability, enhancing a population's ability to adapt. This study shows fluctuating selection increases gene networks' adaptive capacity, influencing organismal evolution.
Area of Science:
- Evolutionary biology
- Systems biology
- Genetics
Background:
- Evolvability, the capacity for populations to adapt, is a key biological concept.
- The mechanisms driving evolvability and its evolutionary basis are debated.
- Understanding evolvability is crucial for explaining biological complexity.
Purpose of the Study:
- To test if natural selection can promote higher evolvability.
- To investigate evolvability in simulated sexual populations.
- To elucidate the mechanisms underlying the evolution of evolvability.
Main Methods:
- Simulated evolution of gene network dynamics.
- Analysis of evolutionary dynamics under fluctuating selection.
- Examination of genotype-phenotype maps.
Main Results:
- Fluctuating natural selection significantly increases the adaptive capacity of gene networks.
- Specific evolutionary forces driving changes in evolvability were quantified.
- Mechanisms linking evolvability, genetic architecture, and robustness were identified.
Conclusions:
- Natural selection can indeed favor evolvability.
- The evolution of evolvability has broad implications for organismal traits.
- This study provides a mechanistic understanding of how evolvability evolves.
Related Concept Videos
02:05Gene Evolution - Fast or Slow?
The genomes of eukaryotes are punctuated by long stretches of sequence which do not code for proteins or RNAs. Although some of these regions do contain crucial regulatory sequences, the vast majority of this DNA serves no known function. Typically, these regions of the genome are the ones in which the fastest change, in evolutionary terms, is observed, because there is typically little to no selection pressure acting on these regions to preserve their sequences.
In contrast, regions which code...
In contrast, regions which code...
02:05Gene Evolution - Fast or Slow?
The genomes of eukaryotes are punctuated by long stretches of sequence which do not code for proteins or RNAs. Although some of these regions do contain crucial regulatory sequences, the vast majority of this DNA serves no known function. Typically, these regions of the genome are the ones in which the fastest change, in evolutionary terms, is observed, because there is typically little to no selection pressure acting on these regions to preserve their sequences.
In contrast, regions which code...
In contrast, regions which code...
01:09Mutation, Gene Flow, and Genetic Drift
In a population that is not at Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium, the frequency of alleles changes over time. Therefore, any deviations from the five conditions of Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium can alter the genetic variation of a given population. Conditions that change the genetic variability of a population include mutations, natural selection, non-random mating, gene flow, and genetic drift (small population size).Mechanisms of Genetic VariationThe original sources of genetic variation are mutations,...
01:26Evolutionary Processes in Microbes
Microbial evolution occurs rapidly due to short generation times and a variety of genetic processes, including horizontal gene transfer, mutation, recombination, and genetic drift. These mechanisms collectively enable microbes to adapt swiftly to changing environments.Horizontal gene transfer (HGT) allows genes to move between different species and occurs through three main mechanisms: conjugation, transformation, and transduction. Conjugation involves direct cell-to-cell contact for DNA...
01:24Evolution of New Traits in Microbes
Microorganisms evolve rapidly due to their large population sizes and short generation times, often exhibiting measurable changes within days under laboratory conditions. Natural selection acts on standing genetic variation, enabling the retention and amplification of beneficial traits that confer fitness advantages in changing environments.Adaptive Pigment Regulation in RhodobacterIn Rhodobacter, a genus of purple non-sulfur bacteria, light-harvesting pigments such as bacteriochlorophyll and...
03:21Genome Size and the Evolution of New Genes
While every living organism has a genome of some kind (be it RNA, or DNA), there is considerable variation in the sizes of these blueprints. One major factor that impacts genome size is whether the organism is prokaryotic or eukaryotic. In prokaryotes, the genome contains little to no non-coding sequence, such that genes are tightly clustered in groups or operons sequentially along the chromosome. Conversely, the genes in eukaryotes are punctuated by long stretches of non-coding sequence.