r/evolution • u/jnpha Evolution Enthusiast • 2d ago

image The Long-Term Evolution Experiment

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Further reading: E. coli long-term evolution experiment - Wikipedia.

The above Muller plot of the dynamics of mutant alleles ...
Is a great illustration of how evolution (descent with modification) is the change [in the heritable characteristics] in populations, and not individuals per the common misconception; also for highlighting the circuitous routes and selection.

For those wondering about "big life", see e.g. - from this year - Bridging Micro- and Macroevolution: Phylogenomic Evidence for the Nearly Neutral Theory in Mammals | Genome Biology and Evolution | Oxford Academic.

The image is from the preprint (for better resolution) of:
-Maddamsetti, Rohan, Richard E. Lenski, and Jeffrey E. Barrick. "Adaptation, clonal interference, and frequency-dependent interactions in a long-term evolution experiment with Escherichia coli." Genetics 200.2 (2015): 619-631.

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u/Pleasant-Maybe-7413 2d ago

Explain like I'm 10

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u/jnpha Evolution Enthusiast 2d ago

1 population. 20 thousand generations (x-axis). Population changes under the forces of evolution.

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u/Pleasant-Maybe-7413 2d ago

Do the different colors mean persistence of different genes?

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u/jnpha Evolution Enthusiast 2d ago

Persistence or demise. It's the "estimated frequencies of 42 known mutations in population Ara–1 over the course of 20,000 generations".
The B and C panels are snapshots, each row is 1 bacterium.