PERSPECTIVE: GENETIC ASSIMILATION AND A POSSIBLE EVOLUTIONARY PARADOX: CAN MACROEVOLUTION SOMETIMES BE SO FAST AS TO PASS US BY?

Evolution ◽  
2003 ◽  
Vol 57 (7) ◽  
pp. 1455 ◽  
Author(s):  
Massimo Pigliucci ◽  
Courtney J. Murren
Keyword(s):  
Genetic Assimilation

Waddington’s Processual Epigenetics and the Debate over Cryptic Variability

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Flavia Fabris
Keyword(s):  
Genetic Variation ◽  
Evolutionary Biology ◽  
Modern Synthesis ◽  
Genetic Assimilation ◽  
Ontological Difference ◽  
Epigenetic Process ◽  
Recent Debate ◽  
Acquired Characters

This chapter reappraises Waddington’s processual theory of epigenetics and examines its implications for contemporary evolutionary biology. It focuses in particular on the ontological difference between two conflicting assumptions that have been conflated in the recent debate over the nature of cryptic variability: a substance view that is consistent with the modern synthesis and construes variability as a preexisting pool of random genetic variation; and a processual view, which derives from Waddington’s conception of developmental canalization and understands variability as an epigenetic process. The chapter also discusses how these opposing interpretations fare in their capacity to explain the genetic assimilation of acquired characters.

scholarly journals Confirmation of Apparent Genetic Assimilation of Behaviour in Drosophila melanogaster

Nature ◽  
1964 ◽  
Vol 204 (4957) ◽  
pp. 504-504 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. ARNOLD ◽  
N. MORAY
Keyword(s):  
Drosophila Melanogaster ◽  
Genetic Assimilation

scholarly journals Genetic Assimilation and Canalisation in the Baldwin Effect

2005 ◽  
pp. 353-362 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rob Mills ◽  
Richard A. Watson
Keyword(s):  
Genetic Assimilation ◽  
Baldwin Effect ◽  
The Baldwin Effect

Genetic Assimilation

1961 ◽  
pp. 257-293 ◽  
Author(s):  
C.H. Waddington
Keyword(s):  
Genetic Assimilation

scholarly journals Phenotypic plasticity and evolution by genetic assimilation

2006 ◽  
Vol 209 (12) ◽  
pp. 2362-2367 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Pigliucci
Keyword(s):  
Phenotypic Plasticity ◽  
Genetic Assimilation

scholarly journals Diabolical survival in Death Valley: recent pupfish colonization, gene flow and genetic assimilation in the smallest species range on earth

2016 ◽  
Vol 283 (1823) ◽  
pp. 20152334 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher H. Martin ◽  
Jacob E. Crawford ◽  
Bruce J. Turner ◽  
Lee H. Simons
Keyword(s):  
Gene Flow ◽  
Demographic History ◽  
Genetic Assimilation ◽  
Death Valley ◽  
Court Case ◽  
Devils Hole ◽  
Supreme Court Case ◽  
History Of ◽  
New Perspective ◽  
Outstanding Question

One of the most endangered vertebrates, the Devils Hole pupfish Cyprinodon diabolis , survives in a nearly impossible environment: a narrow subterranean fissure in the hottest desert on earth, Death Valley. This species became a conservation icon after a landmark 1976 US Supreme Court case affirming federal groundwater rights to its unique habitat. However, one outstanding question about this species remains unresolved: how long has diabolis persisted in this hellish environment? We used next-generation sequencing of over 13 000 loci to infer the demographic history of pupfishes in Death Valley. Instead of relicts isolated 2–3 Myr ago throughout repeated flooding of the entire region by inland seas as currently believed, we present evidence for frequent gene flow among Death Valley pupfish species and divergence after the most recent flooding 13 kyr ago. We estimate that Devils Hole was colonized by pupfish between 105 and 830 years ago, followed by genetic assimilation of pelvic fin loss and recent gene flow into neighbouring spring systems. Our results provide a new perspective on an iconic endangered species using the latest population genomic methods and support an emerging consensus that timescales for speciation are overestimated in many groups of rapidly evolving species.

Genetic assimilation in ethnic minorities

1983 ◽  
Vol 15 (S8) ◽  
pp. 207-218
Author(s):  
R. W. Hiorns
Keyword(s):  
Ethnic Minorities ◽  
Minority Group ◽  
Genetic Assimilation ◽  
Human Populations ◽  
Majority Population

Broadly, genetic assimilation may be taken to mean the process by which groups acquire similar genes to one another. In the case of ethnic minorities, this usually involves a minority group and the surrounding majority population. Our knowledge of the genetics of human populations is imperfect and we may declare that only a small fraction of the total set of genes we possess may be identified. These genes may be divided into three subsets:(1) genes which are known and have known effects upon characteristics of those who possess them;(2) genes which are known and may be identified but have no known effects;(3) genes which are unknown, presumed to be awaiting discovery.

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