Ancient Genes Were 'Redeployed' in Evolution from Fins to Fingers
Scientists have uncovered how evolution redeployed ancient genes that once controlled fin development in fish to shape the limbs and fingers of terrestrial vertebrates. Rather than inventing entirely new genetic machinery, nature recycled and repurposed existing gene regulatory networks during the transition from aquatic to land-dwelling life hundreds of millions of years ago.
The research provides new molecular evidence for one of the most dramatic transitions in vertebrate evolution. By comparing gene expression patterns in modern fish fins and mammalian limbs, the team identified shared genetic programs that were co-opted and modified over evolutionary time. This work deepens our understanding of how complex anatomical structures can emerge through the reuse and reorganization of pre-existing genetic tools, rather than through the wholesale creation of new genes.
The research provides new molecular evidence for one of the most dramatic transitions in vertebrate evolution. By comparing gene expression patterns in modern fish fins and mammalian limbs, the team identified shared genetic programs that were co-opted and modified over evolutionary time. This work deepens our understanding of how complex anatomical structures can emerge through the reuse and reorganization of pre-existing genetic tools, rather than through the wholesale creation of new genes.