The relationship between evolutionary and physiological variation in hemoglobin.

ABSTRACT: Physiological and evolutionary adaptations operate at very different time scales. Nevertheless, there are reasons to believe there should be a strong relationship between the two, as together they modify the phenotype. Physiological adaptations change phenotype by altering certain microscopic parameters; evolutionary adaptation can either alter genetically these same parameters or others to achieve distinct or similar ends. Although qualitative discussions of this relationship abound, there has been very little quantitative analysis. Here, we use the hemoglobin molecule as a model system to quantify the relationship between physiological and evolutionary adaptations. We compare measurements of oxygen saturation curves of 25 mammals with those of human hemoglobin under a wide range of physi

SUBMITTER: Milo R 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2040440 | biostudies-literature | 2007 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature