Review: Old genes for new purposes: how gene co-option reshapes plant diversity
The diversity in plants’ adaptations and evolution is vast. One driver of this variety gaining traction in evolutionary studies is gene co-option, or “tinkering”, the ability to repurpose existing genes for new purposes. In a recent review by Di Stilio and Garcia, the authors bring together recent evidence from across land plants to show how the same genetic toolkit can be rewired to produce new…