Antarctic fish, most of which belonging to the Perciform
Suborder Notothenioidei, have acquired, during their evolution, specific
features that allow them to thrive, at present, at cold and stable temperature
(-1.86°C).
The morphological evolution and diversification of AntarCtic
Notothenioid teleosts into over 120 species is one of the best examples of
adaptive radiation in the marine environment triggered by new ecological chances, for instance the extinction of
antagonists, the colonization of vacant niches, or the emergence of key
innovative features such as the gain of antifreeze glycoproteins that allow
them to live in cold habitats where other species would die.
The evolution of the antifreeze glycoprotein genes from a
trypsinogen-like gene is a striking innovation, in terms of genetic fitness,
that guarantees the survival.
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