The molecular evolution of development
BioEssaysPublished 7 December 1998
Michael D. Purugganan
Citations92
SJR quartileQ1
SJR score1.30
SNIP0.82
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TL;DR
Molecular evolutionary genetics provides one of several approaches to dissecting the evolution of developmental systems, by allowing us to reconstruct the history of developmental genetic pathways, infer the origin and diversification of developmental gene functions, and assess the relative contributions of various evolutionary forces in shaping regulatory gene evolution.
Abstract
Morphological differences between species, from simple single-character differences to large-scale variation in body plans, can be traced to changes in the timing and location of developmental events. This has led to a growing interest in understanding the genetic basis behind the evolution of developmental systems. Molecular evolutionary genetics provides one of several approaches to dissecting the evolution of developmental systems, by allowing us to reconstruct the history of developmental genetic pathways, infer the origin and diversification of developmental gene functions, and assess the relative contributions of various evolutionary forces in shaping regulatory gene evolution.
Keywords
Agricultural and Biological SciencesBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology
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