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In ovo omnia: diversification by duplication in fish and other vertebrates

Ingo Braasch1 and Walter Salzburger2*

Author Affiliations

1 University of Würzburg, Physiological Chemistry I, Biocenter, Am Hubland, 97074 Würzburg, Germany

2 Zoological Institute, University of Basel, Vesalgasse 1, 4055 Basel, Switzerland

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Journal of Biology 2009, 8:25 doi:10.1186/jbiol121

Published: 5 March 2009

Abstract

Gene and genome duplications are considered to be the main evolutionary mechanisms contributing to the unrivalled biodiversity of bony fish. New studies of vitellogenin yolk proteins, including a report in BMC Evolutionary Biology, reveal that the genes underlying key evolutionary innovations and adaptations have undergone complex patterns of duplication and functional evolution.