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Using Phylogenetic Analysis to Investigate Eukaryotic Gene Origin
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Published on: August 14, 2018

Adaptive molecular convergence: Molecular evolution versus molecular phylogenetics.

Todd A Castoe1, A P Jason de Koning, David D Pollock

  • 1Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics; University of Colorado School of Medicine; Aurora, CO USA.

Communicative & Integrative Biology
|June 12, 2010
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Convergent molecular evolution, where unrelated species independently evolve similar traits, is rare but can mislead phylogenetic analysis. This study found over 100 such changes in snakes and lizards, impacting evolutionary studies.

Keywords:
adaptive evolutionhomoplasyparallel evolutionphylogenetic biaspositive selection

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Area of Science:

  • Evolutionary Biology
  • Molecular Genetics
  • Systematics

Background:

  • Convergent evolution, acquiring similar traits in unrelated lineages, is strong evidence for natural selection.
  • While common in morphology (e.g., wings), molecular-level convergence is infrequently documented.
  • Molecular convergence can significantly challenge accurate phylogenetic inference.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the occurrence and impact of convergent evolution at the molecular level.
  • To identify instances of parallel amino acid changes in mitochondrial proteins between snakes and agamid lizards.
  • To assess the threat posed by molecular convergence to phylogenetic reconstruction.

Main Methods:

  • Comparative genomic analysis of mitochondrial protein-coding genes.
  • Identification of parallel amino acid substitutions across different lineages.
  • Phylogenetic analyses to evaluate the impact of convergent substitutions on evolutionary relationships.

Main Results:

  • Discovery of over 100 parallel amino acid substitutions in 13 mitochondrially-encoded proteins between snakes and agamid lizards.
  • Demonstration that a small number of these convergent changes can mislead phylogenetic inference.
  • Evidence that molecular convergence can occur extensively across multiple genes simultaneously.

Conclusions:

  • Molecular convergence can occur on a large scale, affecting numerous genes and proteins.
  • The phenomenon poses a significant challenge to molecular systematics and phylogenetic accuracy.
  • Genome-wide studies are crucial for detecting and understanding convergent molecular evolution, suggesting constraints in the protein adaptive landscape.