Evolution: Polymorphic genes and false convergence

Edward L. Braun

doi:10.1016/j.cub.2026.03.062

May 1, 2026Current BiologyOpen Access

Evolution: Polymorphic genes and false convergence

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Key Points

This research aims to explore the effects of hemiplasy on the interpretation of evolutionary relationships among species.
Analysis of gene trees compared to species trees across various bird lineages.
Investigation of the prevalence of hemiplasy in the bird tree of life.
Hemiplasy is widespread among bird species, leading to misleading interpretations of convergence.
Gene traits can appear convergent despite originating from a single lineage, complicating species identification.

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Abstract

Hemiplasy - which arises due to discordance between gene trees and species trees - can cause traits to appear convergent despite a single origin. New evidence suggests it is widespread in the bird tree of life, with important implications for identifying genes underlying differences among species and for accurately inferring evolutionary history.

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Edward L. Braun (2026) studied this question.

synapsesocial.com/papers/69fd7d4abfa21ec5bbf05e00 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2026.03.062

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Evolution: Polymorphic genes and false convergence

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Evolution: Polymorphic genes and false convergence

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Abstract

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