Re-evolution

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Re-evolution is the preliminary term for the phenomenon that, once acquired by a species in evolution , properties or abilities can be reactivated. With the help of DNA sequence comparisons and the cladistics method, a group of researchers believe, for example, that they can show that the wings of the stem line of stick insects were reduced and that wings were later independently redeveloped several times in subgroups of today's stick insects, which then of some species were again reduced again. However, this interpretation is based solely on the fact that it interprets the evolution of traits in the light of a certain family tree hypothesis a few steps more sparingly ( maximum parsimony ), but does not take into account that the alternative explanation by a multiple reduction of the wings is only slightly less economical but much more plausible and is easier.

literature

  • JJ Bull: Evolutionary biology: Déjà vu . In: Nature . tape 408 , 2000, pp. 416-417 , doi : 10.1038 / 35044169 .
  • Michael F. Whiting, Sven Bradler, Taylor Maxwell: Loss and recovery of wings in stick insects . In: Nature . tape 421 , 2003, p. 264-267 , doi : 10.1038 / nature01313 .

See also

Web links