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Genetic Drift

Genetic Drift

Natural selection—probably the most well-known evolutionary mechanism—increases the prevalence of traits that enhance survival and reproduction. However, evolution does not merely propagate favorable traits, nor does it always benefit populations.Life is not fair. A deer grazing contentedly in a field can have her meal cut tragically short by a bolt of lightning. If the doomed doe is one of only three in the population, 1/3 of the population’s gene pool is lost. Random events like this can...

Gene Duplication and Divergence

Gene Duplication and Divergence

The seminal work of Ohno in 1970 popularized the idea of gene duplication and divergence. DNA sequence comparison studies reveal that a large portion of the genes in bacteria, archaebacteria, and eukaryotes was generated by gene duplication and divergence, indicating its critical role in evolution.
The duplicated copies of the gene are called Paralogs. Paralogs with similar sequences and functions form a gene family. Across several species, a large number of gene families are characterized.

Evolutionary Processes in Microbes

Evolutionary 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...

Genome Size and the Evolution of New Genes

Genome 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.

Genome Size and the Evolution of New Genes

Genome 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.

Mutation, Gene Flow, and Genetic Drift

Mutation, 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,...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 23, 2026

Following the Dynamics of Structural Variants in Experimentally Evolved Populations

Following the Dynamics of Structural Variants in Experimentally Evolved Populations

Published on: February 3, 2023

The causes of repeated genetic evolution.

Nicolas Gompel¹, Benjamin Prud'homme

¹Institut de Biologie du Développement de Marseille-Luminy, CNRS UMR 6216, case 907, Parc scientifique de Luminy, 13288 Marseille cedex 9, France. gompel@ibdml.univ-mrs.fr

Developmental Biology

|May 13, 2009

Summary

Evolutionary history is often unpredictable due to chance events. However, similar traits repeatedly evolve through similar genetic pathways, suggesting predictable biases in adaptive evolution.

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Area of Science:

Evolutionary biology
Genetics
Morphological evolution

Background:

Evolutionary processes are often viewed as contingent, making outcomes difficult to predict.
Repeated evolution of similar traits (convergent evolution) in similar environments provides evidence for adaptive evolution.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate whether repeated evolution of similar traits follows similar or different genetic pathways.
To examine factors influencing genetic paths in adaptive evolution, particularly the interplay between natural selection and genetic variation.

Main Methods:

Analysis of case studies on the repeated evolution of morphological traits.
Examination of genetic trajectories in independent lineages.

Main Results:

Multiple genetic pathways can lead to the evolution of a specific morphological trait.
Similar evolutionary trajectories are frequently observed in independent lineages, indicating biases in genetic evolution.

Conclusions:

Convergent evolution suggests that genetic factors can bias the direction of adaptive evolution.
The interplay between natural selection and genetic variation shapes predictable genetic trajectories in morphological evolution.