Abstract

An emerging synthesis of evolutionary biology and experimental molecular biology is providing much stronger and deeper inferences about the dynamics and mechanisms of evolution than were possible in the past. The new approach combines statistical analyses of gene sequences with manipulative molecular experiments to reveal how ancient mutations altered biochemical processes and produced novel phenotypes. This functional synthesis has set the stage for major advances in our understanding of fundamental questions in evolutionary biology. Here we describe this emerging approach, highlight important new insights that it has made possible, and suggest future directions for the field.

Author affiliations

1. 140 Gortner Laboratories, University of Minnesota, St Paul, Minnesota 55108, USA.
2. 5289 University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon 97403, USA.

Correspondence to: Antony M. Dean¹ Email: deanx024@umn.edu

Correspondence to: Joseph W. Thornton² Email: joet@oregon.edu

MORE ARTICLES LIKE THIS

These links to content published by NPG are automatically generated.