What mechanism explains the acquisition of fungal genes by pea aphids?
Answer
Horizontal gene transfer
The incorporation of genetic material from fungi into the aphid genome, which confers the ability to produce yellow pigments, is classified as horizontal gene transfer (HGT). HGT is a relatively infrequent evolutionary process where genetic material is exchanged between organisms outside the typical parent-to-offspring lineage. When it does occur, as demonstrated in the pea aphid, the impact is profound, fundamentally altering the organism's capabilities—in this case, enabling the production of non-plant-derived pigments. This contrasts sharply with the continuous, incremental genetic adjustments aphids make for host specialization, positioning HGT as a rare, transformative leap in their evolutionary history.
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