Citation
Genome-Wide Signatures of Convergent Evolution in Echolocating Mammals
TL;DR
200+ genes show convergent evolution in echolocating mammals
Expanded molecular convergence analysis to entire genomes, finding 200+ genes with convergent changes in echolocating bats and dolphins. Many were related to hearing but others had unknown functions, suggesting convergence extends beyond obvious functional requirements.
The breadth of molecular convergence implies that strong selection pressures can drive similarity across many dimensions simultaneously - relevant for understanding how competitive pressures might drive convergence across multiple business practices.
Key Findings from Parker & al. (2013)
- 200+ genes show convergent evolution in echolocating mammals
- Convergence extends beyond hearing genes to unknown functions
- Genome-wide selection can drive multi-dimensional convergence