Reticulate evolution, or network evolution is the origination of a lineage through the partial merging of two ancestor lineages, leading to relationships better described by a phylogenetic network than a bifurcating tree.[1] Reticulate patterns can be found in the phylogenetic reconstructions of biodiversity lineages obtained by comparing the characteristics of organisms.[2] Reticulation processes can potentially be convergent and divergent at the same time.[3] Reticulate evolution indicates the lack of independence between two evolutionary lineages.[1] Reticulation affects survival, fitness and speciation rates of species.[2]
Reticulate evolution can happen between lineages separated only for a short time, for example through hybrid speciation in a species complex. Nevertheless, it also takes place over larger evolutionary distances, as exemplified by the presence of organelles of bacterial origin in eukaryotic cells.[2]
Reticulation occurs at various levels:[4] at a chromosomal level, meiotic recombination causes evolution to be reticulate; at a species level, reticulation arises through hybrid speciation and horizontal gene transfer; and at a population level, sexual recombination causes reticulation.[1]
The adjective reticulate stems from the Latin words reticulatus, "having a net-like pattern" from reticulum, "little net."[5]
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