• Explain The Difference Between Convergent And Parallel Evolution

Through time, evolution has shown to follow various different patterns. Evolution can be influenced by different factors such as predation, adaptation and environment. All these factors can alter the way in which organisms or species exposed to them may evolve. Convergent and parallel evolutions are to forms of evolutionary pattern that are often distinguished via the way phenotype evolve. When a certain phenotype evolves, the unexpressed genetic mechanisms that drive the expression are homologous in closely associated species which is a sign of parallel evolution and quite often differ in distant species which defines convergent evolution. Several studies have shown that with a population a species phenotype could evolve due to changes in numerous …show more content…
Show that the same phenotype might evolve among populations within a species by changes in different genes. On the other hand, similar phenotypes have been shown to evolve in species of distant relation as a result of changes in genes. According to Jeff Arendt and David Reznick’s scientific article “Convergence and parallelism reconsidered: what have we learned about the genetics of adaptation”, a study on pigmentation evolution in beach mice illustrated a concern between the distinction between parallel and convergent evolution. The reason for the experiment was to confirm that substitution on a single nucleotide in gene coding of melanocortin-1 receptor (Mc1r) will have a significant part to play in the evolution of white coat mice that occupy the sand dunes of Florida’s Gulf Coast. The melanocortin-1 receptor (Mc1r) gene is a derived amino acid change that plays a role in not only the evolutionary patterns of mice but also birds, black bears, and the coloration of certain lizards. Mc1r mutation involved in the phenotypic light coloration on the Gulf Coast mice but not active in