Jianzhi Zhang presents evidence an example of parallel evolution in a gene for an enzyme that helps leaf-eating monkeys digest their food.
"We know that parallel, or convergent, evolution is very common at the level of morphology—birds can fly, insects can fly, bats can fly, and they've all evolved this capability independently. But at the DNA and protein sequence level, it's very rare to find parallel evolution.”The new work builds on previous research in which Zhang showed that the duplication of a gene encoding a pancreatic enzyme helped Asian colobine monkeys cope with an unusual diet and is reported in the current issue of Nature Genetics.
