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Variation in the reversibility of evolution

Variation in the reversibility of evolution How reversible is adaptive evolution 1,2,3,4,5,6 ? Studies of microbes give mixed answers to this question 6,7,8,9,10,11 . Reverse evolution has been little studied in sexual populations 12,13,14 , even though the population genetics of sexual populations may be quite different. In the present study, 25 diverged replicated populations of Drosophila melanogaster are returned to a common ancestral environment for 50 generations. Here we show that reverse evolution back to the ancestral state occurs, but is not universal, instead depending on previous evolutionary history and the character studied. Hybrid populations showed no greater tendency to undergo successful reverse evolution, suggesting that insufficient genetic variation was not the factor limiting reverse evolution. Adaptive reverse evolution is a contingent process which occurs with only 50 generations of sexual reproduction. http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png Nature Springer Journals

Variation in the reversibility of evolution

Teotónio, Henrique; Rose, Michael R.
Nature , Volume 408 (6811) – Nov 23, 2000
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References (58)

Publisher
Springer Journals
Copyright
Copyright © 2000 by Macmillan Magazines Ltd.
Subject
Science, Humanities and Social Sciences, multidisciplinary; Science, Humanities and Social Sciences, multidisciplinary; Science, multidisciplinary
ISSN
0028-0836
eISSN
1476-4687
DOI
10.1038/35044070
Publisher site
See Article on Publisher Site

Abstract

How reversible is adaptive evolution 1,2,3,4,5,6 ? Studies of microbes give mixed answers to this question 6,7,8,9,10,11 . Reverse evolution has been little studied in sexual populations 12,13,14 , even though the population genetics of sexual populations may be quite different. In the present study, 25 diverged replicated populations of Drosophila melanogaster are returned to a common ancestral environment for 50 generations. Here we show that reverse evolution back to the ancestral state occurs, but is not universal, instead depending on previous evolutionary history and the character studied. Hybrid populations showed no greater tendency to undergo successful reverse evolution, suggesting that insufficient genetic variation was not the factor limiting reverse evolution. Adaptive reverse evolution is a contingent process which occurs with only 50 generations of sexual reproduction.

Journal

Nature – Springer Journals

Published: Nov 23, 2000

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