Journal article
Transposable elements and viruses as factors in adaptation and evolution: an expansion and strengthening of the TE-Thrust hypothesis
Ecology and Evolution, Vol.2(11), pp.2912-2933
2012
Abstract
In addition to the strong divergent evolution and significant and episodic evolutionary transitions and speciation we previously attributed to TE-Thrust, we have expanded the hypothesis to more fully account for the contribution of viruses to TE-Thrust and evolution. The concept of symbiosis and holobiontic genomes is acknowledged, with particular emphasis placed on the creativity potential of the union of retroviral genomes with vertebrate genomes. Further expansions of the TE-Thrust hypothesis are proposed regarding a fuller account of horizontal transfer of TEs, the life cycle of TEs, and also, in the case of a mammalian innovation, the contributions of retroviruses to the functions of the placenta. The possibility of drift by TE families within isolated demes or disjunct populations, is acknowledged, and in addition, we suggest the possibility of horizontal transposon transfer into such subpopulations. “Adaptive potential” and “evolutionary potential” are proposed as the extremes of a continuum of “intra-genomic potential” due to TE-Thrust. Specific data is given, indicating “adaptive potential” being realized with regard to insecticide resistance, and other insect adaptations. In this regard, there is agreement between TE-Thrust and the concept of adaptation by a change in allele frequencies. Evidence on the realization of “evolutionary potential” is also presented, which is compatible with the known differential survivals, and radiations of lineages. Collectively, these data further suggest the possibility, or likelihood, of punctuated episodes of speciation events and evolutionary transitions, coinciding with, and heavily underpinned by, intermittent bursts of TE activity.
Details
- Title
- Transposable elements and viruses as factors in adaptation and evolution: an expansion and strengthening of the TE-Thrust hypothesis
- Authors/Creators
- K.R. Oliver (Author/Creator) - Murdoch UniversityW.K. Greene (Author/Creator) - Murdoch University
- Publication Details
- Ecology and Evolution, Vol.2(11), pp.2912-2933
- Publisher
- Wiley-Blackwell
- Identifiers
- 991005542703307891
- Copyright
- © 2012 The Authors.
- Murdoch Affiliation
- School of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology; School of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences
- Language
- English
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Note
- This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
This output has contributed to the advancement of the following goals:
Source: InCites
Metrics
244 File views/ downloads
87 Record Views
InCites Highlights
These are selected metrics from InCites Benchmarking & Analytics tool, related to this output
- Citation topics
- 1 Clinical & Life Sciences
- 1.54 Molecular & Cell Biology - Genetics
- 1.54.1122 Transposable Elements
- Web Of Science research areas
- Ecology
- Evolutionary Biology
- ESI research areas
- Environment/Ecology