Convergent evolution on the molecular level.
Divergence and convergence are two evolutionary processes by which organisms become adapted to their environments. With the advent of molecular biological techniques it is possible to ask if these processes are observed at the molecular level. There are many examples of molecular divergence in which molecular sequence or function change over evolutionary time. There are fewer reports of convergent evolution on the molecular level, and these claims are sometimes controversial. In this paper I discuss the types of convergent molecular evolution, describe the criteria for accepting or rejecting convergence, and give some examples relevant to neurobiology where convergence has been claimed. These include convergent evolution of opsins, gap junction proteins, neurotransmitter receptors, ion channels, and venoms directed against ion channels.
Section of Neurobiology, University of Texas, Austin 78712, USA. H.Zakon@mail.utexas.edu
Harold H
HH
Zakon
D000818:Animals; D005075:Biological Evolution; D003290:Convergence, Ocular / Q000502:physiology*; D017629:Gap Junctions / Q000502:physiology; D008967:Molecular Biology / Q000379:methods*; D015221:Potassium Channels / Q000502:physiology; D017470:Receptors, Glutamate / Q000502:physiology; D017299:Rod Opsins / Q000502:physiology; D015222:Sodium Channels / Q000502:physiology
D015221:Potassium Channels; D017470:Receptors, Glutamate; D017299:Rod Opsins; D015222:Sodium Channels