Evolutionary plasticity in prokaryotes: A panglossian view |
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Authors: | Marcel Weber |
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Institution: | (1) Biozentrum, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland;(2) Fachgruppe Philosophie, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany |
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Abstract: | Enzyme directed genetic mechanisms causing random DNA sequence alterations are ubiquitous in both eukaryotes and prokaryotes. A number of molecular geneticist have invoked adaptation through natural selection to account for this fact, however, alternative explanations have also flourished. The population geneticist G.C. Williams has dismissed the possibility of selection for mutator activity on a priori grounds. In this paper, I attempt a refutation of Williams' argument. In addition, I discuss some conceptual problems related to recent claims made by microbiologists on the adaptiveness of molecular variety generators in the evolution of prokaryotes. A distinction is proposed between selection for mutations caused by a mutator activity and selection for the mutator activity proper. The latter requires a concept of fitness different from the one commonly used in microbiology. |
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Keywords: | Microbial evolution genetic diversity genome plasticity mutation selection adaptation function etiological conception fitness environmental heterogeneity expected time to extinction clone individual clan subclan bacteriophage DNA inversion site-specific recombination secondary crossover sites transposition |
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