What Darwin Won't Tell You About Evolution - With Jonathan Pettitt

Explore the intricacies of evolutionary biology in this 49-minute lecture by Professor Jonathan Pettitt, the 2020 Genetics Society JBS Haldane Lecturer. Delve into the complexities of life's evolution, challenging the notion of finely-tuned natural selection and introducing the concept of 'unnecessary complexity' in living systems. Examine population genetics, genetic drift, the origins of non-coding DNA, and self-splicing introns. Learn about the unique genetic mechanisms in C. elegans, including their distinctive DNA translation process and the significance of trans-splicing. Discover how these genetic insights could lead to new drug targets for parasitic nematode infections. Gain a deeper understanding of constructive neutral evolution and its role in shaping biological complexity.

Intro and complexity in the visual system
Population genetics
What is genetic drift?
Where non-coding DNA came from
Self-splicing introns
How mechanism that saved eukaryotes
What C. elegans can teach us about genetics
How C. elegans translate DNA differently
Why trans-splicing is important
Using trans-splicing as a drug target
Constructive neutral evolution