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Related Concept Videos

Gene Duplication and Divergence02:37

Gene Duplication and Divergence

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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...
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Gene Families01:57

Gene Families

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Gene families consist of groups of genes proposed to have originated from a common ancestor. Typically these arise through events in which a gene or genes are mistakenly duplicated during cell division. Unlike their parent genes (which are subject to selection pressure to maintain function), these gene copies do not need to preserve their sequences and may evolve at a relatively faster rate.
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Genome Size and the Evolution of New Genes03:21

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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.
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Genome Size and the Evolution of New Genes03:21

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Eukaryotic Evolution01:24

Eukaryotic Evolution

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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...
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Evolutionary Relationships through Genome Comparisons02:54

Evolutionary Relationships through Genome Comparisons

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Genome comparison is one of the excellent ways to interpret the evolutionary relationships between organisms. The basic principle of genome comparison is that if two species share a common feature, it is likely encoded by the DNA sequence conserved between both species. The advent of genome sequencing technologies in the late 20th century enabled scientists to understand the concept of conservation of domains between species and helped them to deduce evolutionary relationships across diverse...
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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jan 6, 2026

Using Phylogenetic Analysis to Investigate Eukaryotic Gene Origin
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Using Phylogenetic Analysis to Investigate Eukaryotic Gene Origin

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Dated gene duplications elucidate the evolutionary assembly of eukaryotes.

Christopher J Kay1,2, Anja Spang3,4, Gergely J Szöllősi5,6,7

  • 1Bristol Palaeobiology Group, School of Earth Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK. chris.kay@bristol.ac.uk.

Nature
|December 3, 2025
PubMed
Summary

The origin of eukaryotes involved complex host cell features evolving before mitochondrial endosymbiosis. This study dates gene duplications, supporting a late-mitochondrion evolutionary sequence for eukaryotes.

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Area of Science:

  • Evolutionary biology
  • Molecular evolution
  • Cell biology

Background:

  • The origin of eukaryotic cells (eukaryogenesis) is a pivotal event in life's history, with key hypotheses differing on the timing of mitochondrial acquisition.
  • Understanding eukaryogenesis is challenging due to the lack of intermediate lineages.
  • Gene duplication events during eukaryogenesis offer insights into the evolutionary timeline of eukaryotic cell assembly.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To determine the evolutionary timeline of gene duplications during eukaryogenesis.
  • To test hypotheses regarding the sequence of events in eukaryotic cell evolution, particularly the timing of mitochondrial endosymbiosis.
  • To infer the characteristics of the archaeal host cell prior to endosymbiosis.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized a relaxed molecular clock approach to date gene duplication events.
  • Analyzed gene duplication timescales to reconstruct the sequence of eukaryogenesis.
  • Integrated findings with geological eras (Mesoarchaean to Palaeoproterozoic) for temporal constraints.

Main Results:

  • Eukaryogenesis occurred between the Mesoarchaean and late Palaeoproterozoic eras.
  • Complex cellular features, including a cytoskeleton, nucleus, and endomembrane system, predated mitochondrial endosymbiosis.
  • Gene duplications indicate these complex features arose between 3.0 and 2.25 billion years ago.

Conclusions:

  • Rejects "mitochondrion-early" models of eukaryogenesis.
  • Supports a "complexified-archaean, late-mitochondrion" model for eukaryotic evolution.
  • Suggests an archaeal host cell with advanced features existed in anoxic oceans, potentially benefiting from syntrophy.