Repeated independent origins of the placenta reveal convergent and divergent organ evolution within a single fish family (Poeciliidae).

ABSTRACT: An outstanding question in biology is to what extent convergent evolution produces similar, but not necessarily identical, complex phenotypic solutions. The placenta is a complex organ that repeatedly evolved in the livebearing fish family Poeciliidae. Here, we apply comparative approaches to test whether evolution has produced similar or different placental phenotypes in the Poeciliidae and to what extent these phenotypes correlate with convergence at the molecular level. We show the existence of two placental phenotypes characterized by distinctly different anatomical adaptations (divergent evolution). Furthermore, each placental phenotype independently evolved multiple times across the family, providing evidence for repeated convergence. Moreover, our comparative genomic analysis reveal

SUBMITTER: Safian D 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10446500 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature