Research Results from Arizona State University Update Understanding of Evolutionary Ecology

By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at Ecology, Environment & Conservation -- New research on Evolutionary Ecology is the subject of a report. According to news reporting out of Tempe, Arizona, by VerticalNews editors, the research stated, "Recent genomic data have found that many genes show the signal of selection. How many of these genes are undergoing heterozygote advantage selection is only beginning to be known."

Our news journalists obtained a quote from the research from Arizona State University, "Initial genomic surveys have suggested that only a small proportion of loci have polymorphisms maintained by heterozygote advantage and this is consistent with the few examples generated from other approaches within given species. Unless further studies provide large numbers of loci with heterozygote advantage, it appears that loci with heterozygote advantage must be considered only a small minority of all loci in a species."

According to the news editors, the research concluded: "This is not to say that some heterozygote advantage loci do not have important adaptive functions, but that their role in overall evolutionary change might be more of an unusual phenomenon than a major player in adaptation."

For more information on this research see: What is the evidence for heterozygote advantage selection? Trends In Ecology & Evolution, 2012;27(12):698-704. Trends In Ecology & Evolution can be contacted at: Elsevier Science London, 84 Theobalds Rd, London WC1X 8RR, England. (Elsevier - www.elsevier.com; Trends In Ecology & Evolution - www.elsevier.com/wps/product/cws_home/30339)

Our news journalists report that additional information may be obtained by contacting P.W. Hedrick, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287, United States.

Publisher contact information for the journal Trends In Ecology & Evolution is: Elsevier Science London, 84 Theobalds Rd, London WC1X 8RR, England.

Keywords for this news article include: Tempe, Arizona, United States, Evolutionary Ecology, North and Central America.

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