Evolutionary Biology: Volume 16

509 Pages·1983·12.6 MB·English

by  Christof K. Biebricher (auth.), Max K. Hecht, Bruce Wallace, Ghillean T. Prance (eds.)

Evolutionary
Biology
VOLUME 16
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Evolutionary
Biology
VOLUME 16
Edited by
MAXK.HECHT
Queens College of the
City University of New York
Flushing, New York
BRUCE WALLACE
Virginia Polytechnic Institute
and State University
Blacksburg, Virginia
and
GHILLEAN T. PRANCE
New York Botanical Garden
Bronx, New York
PLENUM PRESS. NEW YORK AND LONDON
The Library of Congress cataloged the first volume of this title as follows:
Evolutionary biology. v. 1- 1967-
New York, Appleton-Century-Crofts.
v. illus. 24 cm annual.
Editors: 1967- T. Dobzhansky and others.
1. Evolution-Period. 2. Biology-Period. I. Dobzhansky, Theodosius
Grigorievich, 1900-
QH366.A1E9 575' .005 67-11961
ISBN-13: 978-1-4615-6973-2 e-ISBN-13: 978-1-4615-6971-8
DOl: 10.1007/978-1-4615-6971-8
©1983 Plenum Press, New York
Softcover reprint of the hardcover 1st edition 1983
A Division of Plenum Publishing Corporation
233 Spring Street, New York, N.Y. 10013
All rights reserved
No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted
in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, microfilming,
recording, or otherwise, without written permission from the Publisher
Contributors
Konrad Bachmann • Premedical Biology Program, Unil'('rsity of He i
delberg, He ide lherg , West Germany
Christof K. Biebricher • Max-Plunck-Institllt fiir Biophysikalische
Chemie, D-3400 Gij{tingen, Fedcral Rcpllblic of Gerl/lany
Rolf Dahlgren • Botanical MlIscllm, Unil'crsity (~f Copenhagen, Co
penhagen, Denlllark
Llewellyn D. Densmore III • Dcpartment of Biochemistry, LOllisiana
Statc University Medical Center, Nell' Orleans, Louisiana 70112;
present address: Dil'ision (~fBiological Scienccs, Unil'crsity of Mich
igan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109
R. A. Ennos • Dcpartment of Genetics, Unil'ersity of Nell'castlc upon
Tyne, Newcastle lIpon Tyne NEI 7RU, United Kingdolll
John G. Hall • Department (~fE('ology and EI'()llltion, State Uni\'ersity
(~f Nell' York, Stony Brook, Nell' York 11794
Khidir W. Hitu • Department (~fBiology, Virginia Polytcchnic Institute
and State Unil'ersity, Blacksbllrg, Virginia 24061
Richard K. Koehn • Department qfEcology and EI'olution, State Uni
vcrsity of Nell' York, Stony Brook, Nell' York 11794
v
vi Contributors
Ghillean T. Prance • New York Botanical Garden, Bronx, New York
10458
Finn N. Rasmussen • Institute of Systematic Botany, University of Co
penhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
R. A. Reyment • Paleontologiska Institlltionen, Uppsala Universitet,
575122 Uppsala, Sweden
Marina P. P. Strambi • Division of Biology, Cornell Univerity, Ithaca,
New York 14850; present address: Departamento de Biologia do In
stituto de Biociencias da Universidade de Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo,
Brazil
Milton W. Timm • Division of Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca,
New York 14850; present address: 900 E. 21st Street, Brooklyn, Nell'
York 11210
Bruce Wallace • Division of Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, Nell'
York 14850; present address: Department of Biology, Virginia Po
lytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, Virginia 24061
Preface
Sixteen volumes and one supplement have now appeared in the series
known as Evolutionary Biology. The editors continue to seek critical re
views, original papers, and commentaries on controversial topics. It is
our aim to publish papers primarily of greater length and depth than those
normally published by society journals and quarterlies. The editors make
every attempt to solicit manuscripts on an international scale and to see
that every facet of evolutionary biology-classical or modern-is cov
ered.
Manuscripts should be sent to anyone of the following: Max K.
Hecht, Department of Biology, Queens College of the City University of
New York, Flushing, New York 11367; Bruce Wallace, Department of
Biology, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg,
Virginia 24061; Ghillean T. Prance, New York Botanical Garden, Bronx,
New York 10458.
The Editors
vii
Contents
1. Darwinian Selection of Self-Replicating RNA Molecules 1
Christ(~r K. Biehricher
Introduction ....................................... .
Replication of Virus RNA in Vitro. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Extracellular Darwinian Experiments. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Characterization of the QI3 Replicase. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Nonviral RNA Templates of QI3 Replicase. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. II
The Mechanism of RNA Replication . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 14
Initiation of Replication and Template Specificity . . . . . . . . . .. 14
Mechanism of Replica Chain Elongation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 17
Termination of Replication. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 19
Replication of RNA Variants . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 21
The Quasispecies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 23
De NOl'O Synthesis of Self-Replicating RNA. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 27
The Mechanism of Selection .... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 32
Selection in the Exponential Growth Phase. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 32
Selection in the Linear Growth Phase. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 35
Conclusions ........................................ 41
Appendix I. Replication. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 42
Appendix II. The Quasispecies. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 43
Appendix III. Selection under Various Conditions . . . . . . . . . . .. 44
References ......................................... 45
2. Evolution of Enzyme Catalytic Efficiency and Adaptive
Inference from Stead~'-State Kinetic Data. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 53
10hn G. H(/II and Rich{/rd K. Koehn
Introduction ........................................ 53
Catalytic Efficiency. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 55
ix
x Contents
Catalytic Significance of the Michaelis Constant. . . . . . . . . . . . .. 60
Evolution of Catalytic Efficiency . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 61
Dynamics of Enzyme Catalytic Evolution .................. , 75
In Vitro Approximation of the in Vivo Environment. . . . . . . . . .. 80
Experimental Design and Statistical Analysis of Kinetic Data. . .. 84
Conclusions ........................................ 88
References ......................................... 90
3. The Role of Single-Gene Mutations in the Evolution of
Flowering Plants. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
Khidir W. Hilu
Introduction ........................................ 97
Reproductive Structures ............................... 98
Inflorescence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 98
Flowers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 100
Fruits ........................................... 109
Seeds and Seedlings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 110
Growth Habit. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. III
Vegetative Structures. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 113
Leaves .......................................... 113
Tendrils. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 114
Sexual Reproduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 115
Discussion ......................................... 118
References ......................................... 122
4. Maintenance of Genetic Variation in Plant Populations. . . . . .. 129
R. A. Ennos
Introduction ........................................ 129
Models. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 131
Constant Environments. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 131
Heterogeneous Environment. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 136
Interaction with Herbivores and Pests. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 144
Conclusions ........................................ 147
References ......................................... 148
Contents xi
5. Evolutionary Genetics and the Genetic Control of
Morphogenesis in Flowering Plants .................... , 157
Konrad Bachmann
Introduction ........................................ 157
Genetic Control Mechanisms. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 160
A Genetic Approach to Plant Development. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 164
Geometrical Considerations. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 166
Epigenetic Processes ................................. , 170
Indirect Action of the Regulating Genes: The "Hairy Achenes"
System of Microseris . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 173
The Independence of the Responding Genes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 178
Heteroblastic Development . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 182
The Canalization of Numbers of Parts: Principles. . . . . . . . . . . .. 186
Canalized Numbers of Parts: The Mechanism. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 190
The Genetics of Canalized Numbers of Parts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 194
Conclusions ........................................ 20 I
References ......................................... 204
6. Phenotypic Evolution in Microfossils ................... , 209
R. A. Reymellt
Introduction ........................................ 209
Theoretical Background. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 212
Selection Differential and Heritability. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 212
Natural Selection and Evolutionary Events ............... , 214
Random Genetic Drift and Phenotypic Evolution. . . . . . . . . . .. 215
Combined Forces of Selection and Genetic Drift. . . . . . . . . . .. 216
Regional Validity of Multivariate Phenotype .............. , 216
Phenotypic Variation and the Paleoenvironment:
The Case of the Cretaceous Foraminifer Aji-oholil-ina aji-a. . . .. 218
Does Stasis Have Status? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 219
Random Genetic Drift or Selection? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 220
The Regional Phenotype. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 223
Threshold Characters and the Regional Phenotype .......... 223
Discussion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 224
Quantum Evolution in Aji-oholil'ina? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 224
Phenotypic Variation and the Paleoenvironment:
The Cretaceous Benthic Foraminifer Gahonita e!ongata . . . . .. 227