Over the holidays I read a Review article entitled “From genotype to phenotype: buffering mechanisms and the storage of genetic information” by S.L. Rutherford.
Most models of evolution focus on DNA variation, either between individuals or between populations. However, reality is a bit more complicated, as most natural selection acts on variation among phenotypes rather than genotypes. The mapping from phenotype to genotype is complicated by the fact that genetic buffering allows for the buildup and storage of genetic variation in phenotypically normal populations.
“A more realistic picture of genetic networks will emerge from combining the perspectives of molecular and developmental genetics with those of population and evolutionary genetics. Understanding how specific genes are modulated relative to genetic and environmental variation is essential to understanding the course of evolution.”
