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PubMed2002

Directions in evolutionary biology.

In order to understand both the past and future directions of research in evolutionary biology we need to begin by understanding in what way these programs of research differ from the model of most scientific work. The study of evolutionary processes and, in particular, the genetics of the evolutionary process must confront special difficulties in both the conceptual and the methodological aspects of research. On the conceptual side, unlike for molecular, cellular, and developmental biology, there is no basic mechanism that evolutionists are attempting to elucidate. There is no single cause of the evolutionary change in the properties of members of a species. Natural selection may be involved but so are random events, patterns of migration and interbreeding, mutational events, and horizontal transfer of genes across species boundaries. The change in each character of each species is a consequence of a particular mixture of these causal pathways.

Animals↗

PubMed1981

Psychiatric disorders in the context of evolutionary biology. A functional classification of behavior.

This paper examines selected psychiatric illnesses from an evolutionary biological perspective. We present a functional classification of behavior-a classification system concerned with biological goals and behaviors which have biological consequences. The paper begins with an outline of functional views in psychiatry. This is followed by a review of the theoretical framework which serves as the basis for the classification system presented here. Biological goals are then listed and discussed. The capacity of individuals with psychiatric illnesses to achieve biological goals is reviewed briefly. Adaptive behaviors used to pursue the biologically relevant goals are then presented. The relationship between the capacity to enact adaptive behaviors and goal achievement is discussed with particular emphasis on the important role of adaptive strategies as a means of goal pursuit.

Adaptation, Psychological↗

PubMed2006

Fluctuating asymmetry and developmental instability in evolutionary biology: past, present and future.

The role of developmental instability (DI), as measured by fluctuating asymmetry (FA), in evolutionary biology has been the focus of a wealth of research for more than half a century. In spite of this long period and many published papers, our current state of knowledge reviewed here only allows us to conclude that patterns are heterogeneous and that very little is known about the underlying causes of this heterogeneity. In addition, the statistical properties of FA as a measure of DI are only poorly grasped because of a general lack of understanding of the underlying mechanisms that drive DI. If we want to avoid that this area of research becomes abandoned, more efforts should be made to understand the observed heterogeneity, and attempts should be made to develop a unifying statistical protocol. More specifically, and perhaps most importantly, it is argued here that more attention should be paid to the usefulness of FA as a measure of DI since many factors might blur this relationship. Furthermore, the genetic architecture, associations with fitness and the importance of compensatory growth should be investigated under a variety of stress situations. In addition, more focus should be directed to the underlying mechanisms of DI as well as how these processes map to the observable phenotype. These insights could yield more efficient statistical models and a unified approach to the analysis of patterns in FA and DI. The study of both DI and canalization is indispensable to obtain better insights in their possible common origin, especially because both have been suggested to play a role in both micro- and macro-evolutionary processes.

Animals↗

PubMed2005

[Why do so many arts and social scientists have huge difficulties accepting (evolutionary)biologically based opinions for gender differences].

The contribution deals with the wide-spread rejection of (evolutionary) biological founded statements concerning sex differences by social sciences and arts, which are not based on objective objections, but are ideologically justified. The starting point therefore is to be seen in the justified critique of the biological legitimized racism and sexism in the sixties and seventies of the last century. The continuation of this rejecting position, though the modern biology has changed itself essentially, can be explained psychologically by Festinger's "Theory of Cognitive Dissonance".

Art↗

PubMed1999

Comparative genomics and evolutionary biology.

Data of large-scale DNA sequencing are relevant to some of the most fundamental issues in evolutionary biology: suboptimality, homology, hierarchy, ancestry, novelties, the role of natural selection, and the relative importance of directional versus stabilizing selection. Already, these data provided the best available evidence for some evolutionary phenomena, and in several cases led to refinement of old concepts. Still, the Darwinian evolutionary paradigm will successfully accommodate comparative genomics.

Animals↗

PubMed1999

[Evolutionary biological discoveries can increase the understanding of cardiovascular diseases. It can contribute to more realistic preventive strategies].

Recent findings in evolutionary biology offer new insights into the historical emergence of widespread medical disorders such as cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes. This has been named evolutionary medicine. When individuals with a genetic program for retention of sodium and calories (insulin resistance) encounter the stress and unwholesome lifestyle of modern society, cardiovascular disease may soon develop, potential consequences being myocardial infarction or stroke. Focusing on historical changes in climate, social circumstances and food availability in the Nordic countries, factors which very much defined living conditions for our ancestors, we discuss cardiovascular disease from the point of view of evolutionary medicine. A better understanding of this perspective will hopefully increase the likelihood of success in preventive efforts such as lifestyle intervention.

Biological Evolution↗

PubMed1997

Nuclear DNA-based markers for plant evolutionary biology.

While DNA-based markers can provide a wealth of information for the study of plant evolutionary biology, progress is limited by the lack of primers available for PCR. To overcome this limitation, we outline a protocol for developing oligonucleotide primers targeting regions of low copy-number nuclear genes. This protocol is intended to lead to universally useful primer sets. To test our approach, we designed eight primer sets and tested their abilities to amplify targets from representatives of each dicot and one monocot subclass. Five of the eight primer sets amplified targets from at least five of the seven taxa and thus exhibited broad taxonomic usefulness; the remaining primers were rather specific, however, and amplified targets from at most three taxa. In only one primer-taxon combination was a complex multiple-banded amplification produced. Overall, the protocol outlined proved quite useful at identifying broadly applicable primers targeted to low copy-number nuclear genes. Wider application of this approach should be effective at greatly increasing the amount of genetic information available for a diversity of plant nuclear genomes.

Biological Evolution↗

PubMed2001

Bayesian inference of phylogeny and its impact on evolutionary biology.

As a discipline, phylogenetics is becoming transformed by a flood of molecular data. These data allow broad questions to be asked about the history of life, but also present difficult statistical and computational problems. Bayesian inference of phylogeny brings a new perspective to a number of outstanding issues in evolutionary biology, including the analysis of large phylogenetic trees and complex evolutionary models and the detection of the footprint of natural selection in DNA sequences.

Algorithms↗

PubMed2007

The use of evolutionary biology concepts for genome annotation.

The past decade has seen the completion of numerous whole-genome sequencing projects, began with bacterial genomes and continued with eukaryotic species from different phyla: fungi, plants and animals. Besides, more biological information are produced and are shared thanks to information exchange systems, and more biological concepts, as well as more bioinformatics tools, are available. In this article, we will describe how the evolutionary biology concepts, as well as computer science, are useful for a better understanding of biology in general and genome annotation in particular. The genome annotation process consists of taking the raw DNA produced, for example, by the genome sequencing projects, adding the layers of analysis and interpretation necessary to extract its biological significance and placing it in the context of our understanding of biological processes. Genome annotation is a multistep process falling into two broad categories: structural and functional annotation.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

PubMed1987

Methodological problems in evolutionary biology. VIII. Biology and culture.

Biology cannot accommodate all aspects of culture. Aspects of culture that a biological approach can take into account can be covered by the biological categories of "phenotype" and "environment". There is no need to treat culture as a separate category. Attempts to elaborate biological explanations of "cultural variation" will meet with success only if biologists expand theories of development, and integrate them in evolutionary biology. The alternative--elaborating the idea of so-called "cultural inheritance"--makes little sense from a biological point of view.

Animals↗

PubMed2006

The evolutionary biology of cryptic pregnancy: A re-appraisal of the "denied pregnancy" phenomenon.

Previous research on 'denied pregnancy', i.e. lack of subjective awareness of pregnancy until the end of gestation in pregnant women, is reviewed and reinterpreted in an evolutionary biological framework. Recent epidemiological studies show that this condition has a much higher incidence than previously thought (about 1:475). Very often, bodily symptoms of pregnancy (nausea, amenorrhea and abdomen swelling) are absent or greatly reduced, and neonates tend to be underweight; in many cases, pregnancy goes undetected also by relatives and physicians. Current explanations in the clinical literature are based on psychodynamic hypotheses about pregnancy-related unconscious conflicts; the lack of symptoms is accounted for by 'somatic denial'. I argue that such psychodynamic accounts are misguided for two reasons: (1) they rest on a failure to recognize the active biological role of the fetus in determining the course of pregnancy, and (2) they ignore the many levels of mother-fetus conflict over resource allocation described by biological theories of parent-offspring conflict. Here I propose to redefine this condition as 'cryptic pregnancy', and begin to explore its possible physiological correlates and evolutionary significance. In the light of parent-offspring conflict theory, cryptic pregnancy appears to reduce the costs of pregnancy, both energetic and ecological (mobility, dependence on kin/mate, etc.), thus favoring the mother at the expense of the fetus. Reduced hCG production and/or effectiveness is likely to be involved in the process. I propose and discuss three nonexclusive evolutionary hypotheses to account for this phenomenon: (1) cryptic pregnancy could be a nonadaptive outcome of conflict resolution processes over resource allocation in pregnancy, possibly related to minor disruptions of genomic imprinting mechanisms. (2) Cryptic pregnancy could result from missed spontaneous abortions of low-quality fetuses. (3) Finally, cryptic pregnancy could be an adaptive pattern of 'forced cooperation' between mother and fetus in stressful or threatening ecological circumstances, as suggested by the reported association with elevated psychosocial stress. In case of reduced survival probability, both mother and fetus would benefit if the mother reduced investment in pregnancy in order to maximize her chances of surviving and reaching delivery.

Abortion, Missed↗

PubMed2000

Evolutionary biology. In search of biological weirdness.

The late William D. Hamilton (1936-2000) was drawn to the unusual and paradoxical. His observations led to a new understanding of social interactions and shaped a generation of evolutionary biologists. At a symposium here in October honoring this giant of evolutionary biology, who died of malaria in March at age 63, about 70 researchers discussed where Hamilton's ideas have taken them.

Animals↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Frontiers in genomics: insights into protist evolutionary biology, University of Iowa, May 19-21, 2004.

Protists constitute the bulk of eukaryotic diversity yet their genomes remain relatively unexplored. To address this issue, a workshop entitled, "Frontiers in Genomics: Insights into Protist Evolutionary Biology", was convened at the University of Iowa on June 19-21, 2004. The specific aims of the workshop were to define the role of genomics in the eukaryotic tree of life, to identify challenges in characterizing protist (i.e. microbial eukaryote) genomes, and in proposing specific solutions to these challenges. The findings of the workshop are presented here and in a white paper that provide a set of guidelines for organizing the protist community and for planning and executing a protist genome project.

Animals↗

PubMed1989

What evolutionary biology can do for gerontology.

Evolutionary biologists have shown mathematically that aging is an inevitable consequence of age-specific natural selection acting on species with somata separate from germ lines. Two specific genetic mechanisms are known which could underlie the evolution of aging under these conditions: age-specificity of gene effects and antagonistic pleiotropy between early and late ages. Comparative evidence indicates that senescence occurs only when the stipulations of the evolutionary theory are met. Laboratory experiments with Drosophila indicate that prolonging the action of natural selection leads to the evolution of postponed senescence. The genetic variation involved in such postponed senescence exhibits both age-specificity and antagonistic pleiotropy. These theories and empirical findings together suggest that the best general theory of aging now available is the evolutionary theory. In addition, this work has yielded Drosophila stocks with postponed senescence that are being used to unravel physiological mechanisms of senescence.

Aging↗

PubMed2005

Evolutionary biology of cancer.

Cancer is driven by the somatic evolution of cell lineages that have escaped controls on replication and by the population-level evolution of genes that influence cancer risk. We describe here how recent evolutionary ecological studies have elucidated the roles of predation by the immune system and competition among normal and cancerous cells in the somatic evolution of cancer. Recent analyses of the evolution of cancer at the population level show how rapid changes in human environments have augmented cancer risk, how strong selection has frequently led to increased cancer risk as a byproduct, and how anticancer selection has led to tumor-suppression systems, tissue designs that slow somatic evolution, constraints on morphological evolution and even senescence itself. We discuss how applications of the tools of ecology and evolutionary biology are poised to revolutionize our understanding and treatment of this disease.

Journal Article↗

PubMed1993

New model systems for studying the evolutionary biology of aging: crustacea.

Progress in any area of biology has generally required work on a variety of organisms. This is true because particular species often have characteristics that make them especially useful for addressing specific questions. Recent progress in studying the evolutionary biology of senescence has been made through the use of new species, such as Caenorhabditis elegans and Drosophila melanogaster, because of the ease of working with them in the laboratory and because investigators have used theories for the evolution of aging as a basis for discovering the underlying mechanisms. I describe ways of finding new model systems for studying the evolutionary mechanisms of aging by combining the predictions of theory with existing information about the natural history of organisms that are well-suited to laboratory studies. Properties that make organisms favorable for laboratory studies include having a short generation time, high fecundity, small body size, and being easily cultured in a laboratory environment. It is also desirable to begin with natural populations that differ in their rate of aging. I present three scenarios and four groups of organisms which fulfill these requirements. The first two scenarios apply to well-documented differences in age/size specific predation among populations of guppies and microcrustacea. The third is differences among populations of fairy shrimp (Anostraca) in habitat permanence. In all cases, there is an environmental factor that is likely to select for changes in the life history, including aging, plus a target organism which is well-suited for laboratory studies of aging.

Aging↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Life history evolution in guppies (Poecilia reticulata): guppies as a model for studying the evolutionary biology of aging.

Natural populations of guppies can be found with different communities of predators. We have contrasted the early life history of guppies from high and low predation localities. Life history theory predicts that such differences in mortality pattern will select for evolutionary changes in the guppy's life history. Specifically, guppies in high-predation localities are predicted to mature at an earlier age and devote more of their resources to reproduction. We have demonstrated the predicted differences in life history patterns with experiments and observations on guppies from each type of locality. We have also selected for the predicted changes in the life history by manipulating mortality patterns in natural populations. Theories for the evolution of senescence predict that these same mortality patterns will also select for changes in the rate of aging. Specifically, guppies from high-predation localities should have higher rates of aging than their counterparts from low-predation localities. Experiments that select for changes in the early life history should also select for changes in the rate of aging. The existing work on guppies, therefore, presents the opportunity to use them as a new experimental system for studying the evolutionary biology of aging. Finally, I present preliminary results from a pilot study of aging in guppies. This study differs from the earlier work by Comfort because these fish have been reproductively active since they attained maturity; Comfort's fish were maintained as virgins throughout their lives. This study makes two important points. First, age-specific changes in reproductive performance represent as important an index of aging as mortality rates. Second, the rate of aging may be far more rapid in reproductively active individuals.

Aging↗

PubMed2001

Genome sequences and evolutionary biology, a two-way interaction.

Complete genome sequences are accumulating rapidly, culminating with the announcement of the human genome sequence in February 2001. In addition to cataloguing the diversity of genes and other sequences, genome sequences will provide the first detailed and complete data on gene families and genome organization, including data on evolutionary changes. Reciprocally, evolutionary biology will make important contributions to the efforts to understand functions of genes and other sequences in genomes. Large-scale, detailed and unbiased comparisons between species will illuminate the evolution of genes and genomes, and population genetics methods will enable detection of functionally important genes or sequences, including sequences that have been involved in adaptive changes.

Journal Article↗