Evolution and Tinkering

Jacob, François

doi:10.1126/science.860134

Cited by 2,312 publications

(1,294 citation statements)

References 4 publications

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“…This might be due to the fact that many genes (at least developmental-control genes, which are often transcription factors) are multifunctional and participate in several genetic programs and signaling cascades simultaneously and therefore Pax-6 may have been retained to carry out an unrelated function [26,34]. The retention of genetic programs may be a common evolutionary mechanism through which evolution can tinker with programs without having to reinvent them [35], by reusing 'tools' even if they have not been applied in a particular developmental context for a long time [34]. This multifunctionality of genes might also create a 'backup' copy and might be causally related to developmental stability [36,37].…”

Section: To Lose or Not To Lose?mentioning

confidence: 99%

Gene and genome duplications in vertebrates: the one-to-four (-to-eight in fish) rule and the evolution of novel gene functions

Meyer¹,

Schartl²

1999

Current Opinion in Cell Biology

742

532

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Section: To Lose or Not To Lose?mentioning

confidence: 99%

Gene and genome duplications in vertebrates: the one-to-four (-to-eight in fish) rule and the evolution of novel gene functions

Meyer¹,

Schartl²

1999

Current Opinion in Cell Biology

742

532

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“…In general, the way that new structures are built is by small (but sometimes significant) modifications of old machinery. As Francois Jacob put it, evolution is like a tinkerer who 'often without knowing what he is going to produce, … uses what ever he finds around him, old cardboards, pieces of strings, fragments of wood or metal, to make some kind of workable object…' [28]. The genetic mechanisms involved in speech and language development are likely to involve recruitment and modification of pre-existing genetic cascades, much in the way that the development of the wing began with the development of the basic design of a vertebrate forelimb [29].…”

Section: Evolving Foxp2mentioning

confidence: 99%

FOXP2 in focus: what can genes tell us about speech and language?

Marcus

Fisher

2003

Trends in Cognitive Sciences

171

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The human capacity for acquiring speech and language must derive, at least in part, from the genome. In 2001, a study described the first case of a gene, FOXP2, which is thought to be implicated in our ability to acquire spoken language. In the present article, we discuss how this gene was discovered, what it might do, how it relates to other genes, and what it could tell us about the nature of speech and language development. We explain how FOXP2 could, without being specific to the brain or to our own species, still provide an invaluable entry-point into understanding the genetic cascades and neural pathways that contribute to our capacity for speech and language.

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“…Historical contingencies and chance shape organisms during evolution 1, 2 , but convergence in phenotype and molecular systems indicates that evolution is to some extent predictable 3, 4 . Identification of genes and variants that influence evolved differences is not a trivial task 5 .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The developmental transcriptome of contrasting Arctic charr (Salvelinus alpinus) morphs

et al. 2015

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Species and populations with parallel evolution of specific traits can help illuminate how predictable adaptations and divergence are at the molecular and developmental level. Following the last glacial period, dwarfism and specialized bottom feeding morphology evolved rapidly in several landlocked Arctic charr Salvelinus alpinus populations in Iceland. To study the genetic divergence between small benthic morphs and limnetic morphs, we conducted RNA-sequencing charr embryos at four stages in early development. We studied two stocks with contrasting morphologies: the small benthic (SB) charr from Lake Thingvallavatn and Holar aquaculture (AC) charr.The data reveal significant differences in expression of several biological pathways during charr development. There was also an expression difference between SB- and AC-charr in genes involved in energy metabolism and blood coagulation genes. We confirmed differing expression of five genes in whole embryos with qPCR, including lysozyme and natterin-like which was previously identified as a fish-toxin of a lectin family that may be a putative immunopeptide. We also verified differential expression of 7 genes in the developing head that associated consistently with benthic v.s.limnetic morphology (studied in 4 morphs). Comparison of single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) frequencies reveals extensive genetic differentiation between the SB and AC-charr (~1300 with more than 50% frequency difference). Curiously, three derived alleles in the otherwise conserved 12s and 16s mitochondrial ribosomal RNA genes are found in benthic charr.The data implicate multiple genes and molecular pathways in divergence of small benthic charr and/or the response of aquaculture charr to domestication. Functional, genetic and population genetic studies on more freshwater and anadromous populations are needed to confirm the specific loci and mutations relating to specific ecological traits in Arctic charr.

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Evolution and Tinkering

Cited by 2,312 publications

References 4 publications

Gene and genome duplications in vertebrates: the one-to-four (-to-eight in fish) rule and the evolution of novel gene functions

Gene and genome duplications in vertebrates: the one-to-four (-to-eight in fish) rule and the evolution of novel gene functions

FOXP2 in focus: what can genes tell us about speech and language?

The developmental transcriptome of contrasting Arctic charr (Salvelinus alpinus) morphs

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