Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-8ctnn Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-27T07:47:21.706Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

A possible mechanism in convergent evolution

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  08 April 2016

Lennart Jeppsson
Lennart Jeppsson*
Affiliation:
Department of Historical Geology and Palaeontology, University of Lund, Sölvegatan 13, S-223 62 Lund, Sweden
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

It has been shown in laboratory experiments that viruses can transfer DNA from the host cell to other cells and even to those of another species. In nature such transfers could facilitate convergent evolution. Studied cases of convergent evolution indicate that a gene might be successfully transferred to another species to produce a similar phenotypic effect as frequently as once per 1–10 ma and the effects of gene transfer on evolution in general are likely to be considerable. There are many constraints on the cases of convergent evolution that might be considered as possible examples of gene transfer. First, both co-occurrence in space and time of the taxa in question and presence of complete reproductive isolation must be assessed. Further, both the limited space available in a virus particle and the necessity that the transferred DNA functions well in both mitosis and meiosis in heterozygotic individuals indicate that only rather short pieces of DNA would be expected to be transferred. This limits the possible effects of any gene transfer. Examples of convergent evolution in five Siluro-Devonian conodont lineages are briefly presented and assessed in terms of possible mechanisms of convergence.

Type
Articles
Information
Paleobiology , Volume 12 , Issue 1 , Winter 1986 , pp. 80 - 88
Copyright
Copyright © The Paleontological Society 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Literature Cited

Barnes, C. R., Kennedy, D. J., McCracken, A. D., Nowlan, G. S., and Tarrant, G. A. 1979. The structure and evolution of Ordovician conodont apparatuses. Lethaia. 12:125–151.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Barrick, J. E. and Klapper, G. 1976. Multielement Silurian (late Llandoverian-Wenlockian) conodonts of the Clarita Formation, Arbuckle Mountains, Oklahoma, and phylogeny of Kockelella. Geol. Palaeontol. 10:59–99.Google Scholar
Bengtson, S. 1977. Aspects of problematic fossils in the early Palaeozoic. Acta Univ. Ups. Abstr. Uppsala Diss. Fac. Sci. 415:1–71.Google Scholar
Benveniste, R. E. and Todaro, G. J. 1974. Evolution of C-type viral genes: inheritance of exogenously acquired viral genes. Nature. 252:456–459.Google Scholar
Benveniste, R. E. and Todaro, G. J. 1982. Gene transfer between eucaryotes. Science. 217:1202.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bergström, S. M. 1971. Conodont biostratigraphy of the Middle and Upper Ordovician of Europe and eastern North America. Geol. Soc. Am. Mem. 127:83–161.Google Scholar
Bergström, S. M. and Sweet, W. C. 1966. Conodonts from the Lexington Limestone (Middle Ordovician) of Kentucky and its lateral equivalents in Ohio and Indiana. Bull. Am. Paleontol. 50:267–441.Google Scholar
Bischoff, G. and Sannemann, D. 1958. Unterdevonische Conodonten aus dem Frankenwald. Notizbl. Hess. Landes. Bodenforsch. Wiesbaden. 86:87–110.Google Scholar
Branson, E. B. and Mehl, M. G. 1933–1934. Conodont studies. Univ. Missouri Stud. 8:1–349.Google Scholar
Briggs, D. E. G., Clarkson, E. N. K., and Aldridge, R. J. 1983. The conodont animal. Lethaia. 16:1–14.Google Scholar
Erwin, D. H. and Valentine, J. W. 1984. “Hopeful monsters,” transposons, and Metazoan radiation. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 81:5482–5483.Google Scholar
George, T. N. 1971. Systematics in palaeontology. J. Geol. Soc. London. 127:197–245.Google Scholar
Goodenough, U. and Levine, R. P. 1975. Genetics. Holt, Rinehart & Winston; London.Google Scholar
Greenwood, R. M. and Atkinson, I. A. E. 1977. Evolution of divaricating plants in New Zealand in relation to moa browsing. Proc. N.Z. Ecol. Soc. 24:21–33.Google Scholar
Huxley, J. 1963. Evolution. The Modern Synthesis. 2d ed.Allen & Unwin; London.Google Scholar
Jeppsson, L. 1972. Some Silurian conodont apparatuses and possible conodont dimorphism. Geol. Palaeontol. 6:51–69.Google Scholar
Jeppsson, L. 1974(1975). Aspects of Late Silurian conodonts. Foss. Strat. 6:1–79.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Jeppsson, L. 1981. The conodont faunas in the Beyrichienkalk. Pp. 13–14. In: Laufeld, S., ed. Proceedings of Project Ecostratigraphy Plenary Meeting, Gotland 1981. Sver. Geol. Unders. Rapp. Medd. 25.Google Scholar
Jeppsson, L. 1983. Silurian conodont faunas from Gotland. Foss. Strat. 15:121–144.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Klapper, G. and Philip, G. M. 1972. Familial classification of reconstructed Devonian conodont apparatuses. Geol. Palaeontol. SB1:97–114.Google Scholar
Klapper, G. and Murphy, M. A. 1974 (1975). Silurian-Lower Devonian conodont sequence in the Roberts Mountains Formation of central Nevada. Univ. California Publ. Geol. Sci. 111:1–87.Google Scholar
Lewin, R. 1982. Can genes jump between eukaryotic species? Science. 217:42.Google Scholar
Meril, C. R., Geier, M. R., and Petricciani, J. C. 1971. Bacterial virus gene expression in human cells. Nature. 233:398–400.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mildenhall, D. C. 1980. New Zealand Late Cretaceous and Cenozoic plant biogeography: a contribution. Palaeogeogr. Palaeoclimatol. Palaeoecol. 31:197–233.Google Scholar
Philip, G. M. 1965. Lower Devonian conodonts from the Tyers area, Gippsland, Victoria. Proc. R. Soc. Victoria. 79(1):95–117.Google Scholar
Regan, C. T. 1926. Organic evolution. Rep. Br. Assoc. Adv. Sci. 1925:75–86.Google Scholar
Sepkoski, J. J. Jr. and Knoll, A. H. 1983. Precambrian-Cambrian Boundary: the spike is driven and the monolith crumbles. Paleobiology. 9(3):199–206.Google Scholar
Thorsteinsson, R. and Uyeno, T. T. 1980 (1981). Biostratigraphy. Pp. 21–31. In: Thorsteinsson, R.Stratigraphy and conodonts of Upper Silurian and Lower Devonian rocks in the environs of the Boothia Uplift, Canadian Arctic Archipelago. 1. Contributions to stratigraphy. Geol. Surv. Can. Bull. 292.Google Scholar
Uyeno, T. T. 1980 (1981). Stratigraphy and conodonts of Upper Silurian and Lower Devonian rocks in the environs of the Boothia Uplift, Canadian Arctic Archipelago. 2. Systematic study of conodonts. Geol. Surv. Can. Bull. 292:39–75.Google Scholar
Walliser, O. H. 1964. Conodonten des Silurs. Abh. Hess. Landes. Bodenforsch. Wiesbaden. 41:1–106.Google Scholar
Went, F. W. 1971. Parallel evolution. Taxon. 20:197–226.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ziegler, W. 1956. Unterdevonische Conodonten, insbesondere aus dem Schönauer und dem Zorgensis-Kalk. Notizbl. Hess. Landes. Bodenforsch. Wiesbaden. 84:93–106.Google Scholar