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Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 22, 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

Parallel selection: evolution's surprising predictability.

Joshua M Akey¹

¹Department of Genome Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195-5065, USA. akeyj@uw.edu

Current Biology : CB

|May 26, 2012

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Polygenic traits, like body weight, are influenced by many genes. New research shows that different mouse strains independently evolved similar genetic changes in response to selection for extreme body weight.

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Area of Science:

Evolutionary genetics
Quantitative genetics

Background:

Understanding the genetic basis of polygenic traits is crucial for evolutionary biology.
The mechanisms by which polygenic traits respond to natural or artificial selection remain largely unknown.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the genetic basis of parallel selection in polygenic traits.
To provide evidence for widespread parallel selection across independent populations.

Main Methods:

Utilizing independent mouse strains selected for extreme body weight.
Employing genomic analyses to identify genetic changes associated with selection.

Main Results:

Demonstrating compelling evidence of parallel selection.
Identifying similar genetic adaptations in independent mouse populations selected for body weight.

Conclusions:

Widespread parallel selection is a significant evolutionary force shaping polygenic traits.
Independent populations can converge on similar genetic solutions when subjected to similar selective pressures.