Search results
Results From The WOW.Com Content Network
Convergent evolution—the repeated evolution of similar traits in multiple lineages which all ancestrally lack the trait—is rife in nature, as illustrated by the examples below. The ultimate cause of convergence is usually a similar evolutionary biome , as similar environments will select for similar traits in any species occupying the same ...
An evolutionary lineage is a temporal series of populations, organisms, cells, or genes connected by a continuous line of descent from ancestor to descendant. [1] [2] Lineages are subsets of the evolutionary tree of life. Lineages are often determined by the techniques of molecular systematics.
Parallel evolution is the similar development of a trait in distinct species that are not closely related, but share a similar original trait in response to similar evolutionary pressure. [ 1 ] [ 2 ] Parallel vs. convergent evolution
A genetic lineage includes all descendants of a given genetic sequence, typically following a new mutation. It is not the same as an allele because it excludes cases where different mutations give rise to the same allele, and includes descendants that differ from the ancestor by one or more mutations .
A large body of molecular evidence supports a variety of mechanisms for large evolutionary changes, including: genome and gene duplication, which facilitates rapid evolution by providing substantial quantities of genetic material under weak or no selective constraints; horizontal gene transfer, the process of transferring genetic material to ...
Evolutionary biology is the subfield of biology that studies the evolutionary processes (natural selection, common descent, speciation) that produced the diversity of life on Earth. It is also defined as the study of the history of life forms on Earth. Evolution holds that all species are related and gradually change over generations. [1]
Evolution is the change in the heritable characteristics of biological populations over successive generations. [1] [2] It occurs when evolutionary processes such as natural selection and genetic drift act on genetic variation, resulting in certain characteristics becoming more or less common within a population over successive generations. [3]
Evolutionary biology – Study of the evolution of life Evolutionary developmental biology – Comparison of organism developmental processes; Genetics – Science of genes, heredity, and variation in living organisms; Biogeography – Study of distribution of species; Ecological genetics – Study of genetics in natural populations ...