CONVERGENCE OR REDUNDANCY: ALTERNATIVE VIEWS ABOUT THE EVOLUTIONARY GENOMICS OF CHARACTER DISPLACEMENT

There is an evolutionary debate about the importance of convergence among taxa versus unique adaptive solutions that are likely with genetic redundancy. With convergence the same adaptive trait evolves utilizing similar genetic changes. With genetic redundancy different sets of genes can create the same adaptive trait. There are many convergent examples where adaptations creates similar phenotypes. Yet, convergent nucleotide changes are unlikely if complex traits are genetically redundant. Here we address this debate by examining SNPs associated with the evolution of rapid character displacement among replicate islands with (2Spp) and without competition (1Spp) between two Anolis species.