How evolution builds genes from scratch
Scientists long assumed that new genes appear when evolution tinkers with old ones. It turns out that natural selection is much more creative.
Genes do not always evolve from existing ones, as biologists long supposed. Instead, some are fashioned from desolate stretches of the genome that do not code for any functional molecules.
Conventional wisdom was that new genes tended to arise when existing ones are accidentally duplicated, blended with others or broken up, but some researchers now think that *de novo* genes could be quite common. A newly minted gene could help an organism to respond to a change in its environment, for instance.
Nature 574, 314-316 (2019)
***********************************************
The BEE-L mailing list is powered by L-Soft's renowned
LISTSERV(R) list management software. For more information, go to:
http://www.lsoft.com/LISTSERV-powered.html