Gene exchange and natural selection cause Bacillus subtilis to evolve in soil culture.
Strains of Bacillus subtilis exchange linked blocks of genes when growing together in soil; such exchange leads to extensive reorganization of the genotypic structure of the population and to the appearance and eventual dominance of a single phenotype. This process illustrates how recombination and selection lead to adaptive changes in populations.
D001412:Bacillus subtilis / Q000235:genetics*; D005075:Biological Evolution; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics*; D005796:Genes; D014644:Genetic Variation; D010641:Phenotype; D011995:Recombination, Genetic; D012988:Soil Microbiology; D014161:Transduction, Genetic
D004269:DNA, Bacterial