Evolution Caught in the Act: Scientists Measure How Quickly Genomes Change
Evolution Caught in the Act: Scientists Measure How Quickly Genomes Change
Evolution Caught in the Act: Scientists Measure How Quickly Genomes Change
ScienceDaily — Mutations are the raw material of evolution. Charles Darwin already recognized that evolution depends on heritable differences between individuals: those who are better adapted to the environment have better chances to pass on their genes to the next generation. A species can only evolve if the genome changes through new mutations, with the best new variants surviving the sieve of selection.
Scientists at the Max Planck Institute for Developmental Biology in Tübingen, Germany, and Indiana University in Bloomington have now been able to measure for the first time directly the speed with which new mutations occur in plants. Their findings shed new light on a fundamental evolutionary process. They explain, for example, why resistance to herbicides can appear within just a few years.
Their research appears in the Jan. 1, 2010 issue of the journal Science.
Journal Reference:
- Stephan Ossowski, Korbinian Schneeberger, José Ingnacio Lucas-Lledó, Norman Warthmann, Richard M. Clark, Ruth G. Shaw, Detlef Weigel and Michael Lynch. The Rate and Molecular Spectrum of Spontaneous Mutations in Arabidopsis thaliana. Science, 2010; 327 (5961): 92 DOI: 10.1126/science.1180677
