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GENETIC VARIATION AND THE EVOLUTION OF EPIGENETIC REGULATION
Author(s) -
Furrow Robert E.,
Feldman Marcus W.
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
evolution
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.84
H-Index - 199
eISSN - 1558-5646
pISSN - 0014-3820
DOI - 10.1111/evo.12225
Subject(s) - epigenetics , biology , transgenerational epigenetics , evolutionary biology , inheritance (genetic algorithm) , epigenesis , variation (astronomy) , genetics , phenotype , genetic variation , locus (genetics) , range (aeronautics) , dna methylation , gene , gene expression , physics , materials science , astrophysics , composite material
Epigenetic variation has been observed in a range of organisms, leading to questions of the adaptive significance of this variation. In this study, we present a model to explore the ecological and genetic conditions that select for epigenetic regulation. We find that the rate of temporal environmental change is a key factor controlling the features of this evolution. When the environment fluctuates rapidly between states with different phenotypic optima, epigenetic regulation may evolve but we expect to observe low transgenerational inheritance of epigenetic states, whereas when this fluctuation occurs over longer time scales, regulation may evolve to generate epigenetic states that are inherited faithfully for many generations. In all cases, the underlying genetic variation at the epigenetically regulated locus is a crucial factor determining the range of conditions that allow for evolution of epigenetic mechanisms.