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The Evidence for Evolution

The Evidence for Evolution

Genetic variations accumulating within populations over generations give rise to biological evolution. Evolutionary changes can result in the formation of novel varieties and entire new species. These changes are responsible for the diverse forms of life inhabiting the planet. The evidence for evolution suggests that all living organisms descended from common ancestors.

Convergent Evolution

Convergent Evolution

Evolution shapes the features of organisms over time, ensuring that they are suited for the environments in which they live. Sometimes, selection pressure leads to the rise of similar but unrelated adaptations in organisms with no recent common ancestors, a process known as convergent evolution.

Viral Mutations

Viral Mutations

A mutation is a change in the sequence of bases of DNA or RNA in a genome. Some mutations occur during replication of the genome due to errors made by the polymerase enzymes that replicate DNA or RNA. Unlike DNA polymerase, RNA polymerase is prone to errors because it is not capable of “proofreading” its work. Viruses with RNA-based genomes, like HIV, therefore accrue mutations faster than viruses with DNA-based genomes. Because mutation and recombination provide the raw material...

Eukaryotic Evolution

Eukaryotic Evolution

The endosymbiont theory is the most widely accepted theory of eukaryotic evolution; however, its progression is still somewhat debated. According to the nucleus-first hypothesis, the ancestral prokaryote first evolved a membrane to enclose DNA and form the nucleus. Conversely, the mitochondria-first hypothesis suggests that the nucleus was formed after endosymbiosis of mitochondria.
Contrary to the endosymbiont theory, the eukaryote-first hypothesis proposes that the simpler prokaryotic and...

Synteny and Evolution

Synteny and Evolution

John H. Renwick first coined the term “synteny” in 1971, which refers to the genes present on the same chromosomes, even if they are not genetically linked. The species with common ancestry tend to show conserved syntenic regions. Therefore, the concept of synteny is nowadays used to describe the evolutionary relationship between species.
Around 80 million years ago, the human and mice lineages diverged from the common ancestor. During the course of evolution, the ancestral...

Viral Recombination

Viral Recombination

Cells are sometimes infected by more than one virus at once. When two viruses disassemble to expose their genomes for replication in the same cell, similar regions of their genomes can pair together and exchange sequences in a process called recombination. Alternatively, viruses with segmented genomes can swap segments in a process called reassortment.

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jan 26, 2026

Molecular Evolution of the Tre Recombinase

Molecular Evolution of the Tre Recombinase

Published on: May 29, 2008

Modelling the evolution of viral oncogenesis.

Carmen Lía Murall¹, Samuel Alizon¹

¹Laboratoire MIVEGEC (UMR CNRS 5290, IRD 224, UM) , 34090 Montpellier , France.

Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological Sciences

|April 9, 2019

Summary

Human DNA oncoviruses evolve to balance within-host replication with between-host transmission. Mathematical modeling reveals how oncoprotein activities create evolutionary trade-offs impacting cancer risk and viral fitness.

Keywords:

life cycle mathematical modelling oncoviruses virulence evolution virus dynamics

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Area of Science:

Virology
Evolutionary Biology
Mathematical Modeling

Background:

Human oncogenic viruses are often DNA viruses with long host co-evolutionary histories.
These viruses establish latent or chronic infections, achieving high prevalence with low mortality, aligning with virulence evolution theory.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate how viral life cycles generate selective pressures for or against oncogenesis.
To analyze the evolutionary trade-offs associated with oncoprotein activities at within-host and between-host levels.

Main Methods:

Analysis of DNA oncovirus life histories.
Development and application of a mathematical modeling approach to simulate virus-host dynamics.

Main Results:

Oncoprotein activities like extending cell lifespan and increasing proliferation offer within-host benefits but incur epidemiological costs.
These activities create evolutionary trade-offs between viral population size and cancer risk or recovery rates.

Conclusions:

Viral life cycle strategies are shaped by evolutionary trade-offs between oncogenesis and epidemiological fitness.
Mathematical modeling provides insights into oncovirus dynamics and evolution, highlighting future research directions.