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Canalization in evolutionary genetics: a stabilizing theory?
Author(s) -
Gibson Greg,
Wagner Günter
Publication year - 2000
Publication title -
bioessays
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.175
H-Index - 184
eISSN - 1521-1878
pISSN - 0265-9247
DOI - 10.1002/(sici)1521-1878(200004)22:4<372::aid-bies7>3.0.co;2-j
Subject(s) - trait , perspective (graphical) , evolutionary biology , simple (philosophy) , biology , human evolutionary genetics , biological evolution , evolutionary theory , computer science , epistemology , genetics , artificial intelligence , genome , philosophy , gene , programming language
Canalization is an elusive concept. The notion that biological systems ought to evolve to a state of higher stability against mutational and environmental perturbations seems simple enough, but has been exceedingly difficult to prove. Part of the problem has been the lack of a definition of canalization that incorporates an evolutionary genetic perspective and provides a framework for both mathematical and empirical study. After briefly reviewing the importance of canalization in studies of evolution and development, we aim, with this essay, to outline a research program that builds upon the definition of canalization as the reduction in variability of a trait, and uses molecular genetic approaches to shed light on the problems of canalization. BioEssays 22:372–380, 2000. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.