Stronger Evidence for Relaxed Selection Than Adaptive Evolution in High-elevation Animal mtDNA

• Published in: Molecular biology and evolution Vol. 42; no. 4
• Main Authors: Iverson, Erik N K, Criswell, Abby, Havird, Justin C
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Oxford University Press 01.04.2025
• Subjects: Adaptation, Biological - genetics; Adaptation, Physiological - genetics; Altitude; Animals; Arthropods - genetics; Biological Evolution; Discoveries; DNA, Mitochondrial - genetics; Evolution, Molecular; Fishes - genetics; Genome, Mitochondrial; Selection, Genetic; Vertebrates - genetics; elevation; altitude; adaptation; selection; mitochondria

Mitochondrial (mt) genes are the subject of many adaptive hypotheses due to the key role of mitochondria in energy production and metabolism. One widespread adaptive hypothesis is that selection imposed by life at high elevation leads to the rapid fixation of beneficial alleles in mtDNA, reflected i...