Researchers from Queen Mary University of London found genetic similarities between bats and dolphins which led them to develop similar traits.
Convergent evolution is the process where different species develop similar traits. In a new study, researchers from Queen Mary University of London found that these similar traits are not restricted only to the physical level but are also applicable to their genetics.
Researchers of the study looked at convergent evolution a bit more closely by focusing on echolocation. This particular complex physical trait involves both the production and reception of ultrasonic pulses to detect unseen obstacles or prey. This attribute has evolved separately in different groups of bats and cetaceans, including dolphins, making it the perfect trait to study. For the study, they compared the genomic sequences of 22 mammals, including those of bats and dolphins
"We had expected to find identical changes in maybe a dozen or so genes but to see nearly 200 is incredible," said Joe Parker, one of the researchers, in a news release. "We know natural selection is a potent driver of gene sequence evolution, but identifying so many examples where it produces nearly identical results in the genetic sequences of totally unrelated animals is astonishing."
Researchers also found that signs of convergence of genes among bats and the bottlenose dolphin previously implicated in hearing or deafness. The fact that these molecular signals of convergence were so widespread greatly adds to the understanding of genome evolution.
"These results could be the tip of the iceberg," said Stephen Rossiter, one of the researchers, in a news release. "As the genomes of more species are sequenced and studied, we may well see other striking cases of convergent adaptations being driven by identical genetic changes."
Findings of the study were published in the journal Nature.
