Journal Article
Convergence and parallelism reconsidered: what have we learned about the genetics of adaptation?
Arendt, J. and Reznick, D.
Record Number:
3794
Year:
2007
Journal:
Trends in Ecology and Evolution
Pages:
26-32
Volume:
23
PMCID:
hppt://dx/doi.org/10.1016/j.tree.2007.09.011
Abstract:
Biologists often distinguish ‘convergent’ from ‘parallel’
evolution. This distinction usually assumes that when a
given phenotype evolves, the underlying genetic mechanisms
are different in distantly related species (convergent)
but similar in closely related species (parallel).
However, several examples show that the same phenotype
might evolve among populations within a species
by changes in different genes. Conversely, similar phenotypes
might evolve in distantly related species by
changes in the same gene. We thus argue that the
distinction between ‘convergent’ and ‘parallel’ evolution
is a false dichotomy, at best representing ends of a
continuum.Wecan simplify our vocabulary; all instances
of the independent evolution of a given phenotype can
be described with a single term – convergent.
Times Cited:
1
Relevent Species: