Which of the following did NOT revolutionize thinking about the mechanism of evolution?
A) Realization that diversity of forms in nature required a new blueprint (set of genes) for every new species.
B) Discovery of genes residing on chromosomes and elucidation of meiosis and mitosis.
C) Rediscovery of Mendel's laws of inheritance.
D) Darwin's proposal of natural selection as a plausible mechanism for evolution.
E) Realization that gene expression is under the control of very similar regulatory genes.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

A) The realization that diversity of forms in nature required a new blueprint (set of genes) for every new species did not revolutionize thinking about the mechanism of evolution. This is because the concept of a completely new genetic blueprint for each species oversimplifies the evolutionary process and does not account for the shared genetic heritage and gradual changes that underpin evolutionary theory. Evolutionary thinking was more significantly revolutionized by understanding how variations within shared genetic blueprints can be acted upon by natural selection (Darwin's proposal), the discovery of genes and their behavior during cell division (meiosis and mitosis), the rediscovery of Mendelian inheritance, and the understanding of gene expression regulation.

Which of the Following Did NOT Revolutionize Thinking About the Mechanism