OPUS: CRS: Non-Adaptive and Anti-Adaptive Forces in Evolution, A Synthesis

University Of Houston, Houston TX

Investigators

Abstract

There exist two approaches to the functional description of the genetic makeup that endows each living organism with its unique heritable characters. The first approach, which ascribes particular biochemical activities to particular parts of the genome, is descriptive and mechanistic; it does not answer questions of causality and functionality. The second approach is evolutionary; it looks at particular segments within the genome and asks why these segments exist and how are they maintained during evolutionary times. By using the second approach, this study will attempt to identify the driving forces that lead to functionality and lack of functionality, thereby enabling researchers to identify and focus on (1) the functional parts of the genome, and (2) on the nonfunctional parts that are usually inert and innocuous in terms of their effects on the organism, but which under certain circumstances may adversely affect fitness. During this study, the PI will directly engage undergraduate and graduate students at University of Houston as well as other institutions in the Houston area in writing-intense activities related to evolutionary biology through WikiEdu and other Wikimedia outlets. WikiEdu aims to connect higher education to Wikipedia, ensuring that Wikipedia, the world’s most read information source, is representative, accurate, and complete. The PI is also an associate editor of WikiJournal of Science, which publishes review articles. It achieves public engagement and outreach, and impacts public understanding of science by a dual process of publication: a standard academic paper and a modifiable version in Wikipedia. Despite huge advances in our understanding of the molecular and stochastic foundations of the evolutionary process, there is a need to systematically enumerate and discuss the many non-adaptive and anti-adaptive evolutionary processes and mechanisms affecting the genome and to logically present the reasons why “perfection” cannot be the expected outcome of any natural process. A synthesis of these evolutionary non-adaptive and anti-adaptive forces, each presented as a testable hypothesis and accompanied by theoretical, experimental, and observational evidence would be a welcome antidote to adaptive “just-so stories.” This synthesis has an additional aim, i.e., to illustrate the advantages of “hypothesis-driven science” over all other methods of inquiry, such as “data-driven science,” that dispose with the need for a hypothesis as the central conceptualization of scientific research. This research will deal with the many reasons why evolution by its nature and the mechanisms it employs is incapable of producing anything approaching perfection in terms of performance (i.e., the attained output), efficiency (i.e., the manner with which the output is attained), or fitness. The conceptual framework derived from this synthesis will be used to analyze and interpret evolutionary patterns and characteristics at the genome level. The synthesis will encompass theoretical as well as empirical results. A number of evolutionary factors leading to evolutionary “imperfections” will be considered, for example, (1) the lack of feedback mechanisms; (2) the limitations imposed by the effective population size; (3) the indifference of mutations, (4) historical contingency; (5) the genetic load imposed by deleterious mutations, (6) random occurrences of extinction; and (7) genomic sexual conflicts, whereby the two sexes share essentially the same genomes yet are subject to divergent selection pressures. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.