Epigenetics: A New Source of Evolutionary Novelty and its Implications for the Modern Synthesis
" The central problem of evolution is the origin of novelty, not the fine-tuning of already existing adaptations. Nobody understands evolution precisely because nobody understands the origin of novelty." -EV Koonin Epigenetics, the study of heritable changes in gene expression that do not involve alterations to the underlying DNA sequence, is emerging as a powerful mechanism that can explain the relatively rapid arrival of novelty in evolution. While the traditional view of evolution centers on random genetic mutations as the sole source of new variation, epigenetics offers a dynamic, environmentally responsive layer of inheritance that can generate novel phenotypes far more swiftly. The Epigenetic Mechanism of Novelty: Epigenetic modifications primarily regulate gene expression determining which genes are turned "on" or "off" and to what degree. The main molecular mechanisms include DNA methylation, histone modifications, and the action of no...