Evolution of evolution mechanisms

[Saviourmachine]

I was wondering in how much the evolution mechanisms itself are evolved.

In early times it started with only random point mutations, I guess. Nowadays are other mechanisms like gen duplications and crossing-overs known, but it seems for me that there have to be a lot of this stuff.

I'm thinking of: mutation accelerators, mechanisms that can predict which locations are preferable for mutations, chemical stuff to mutate things 'artificially', and so on.

If you can optimize evolution mechanisms you will accelerate evolution itself, isn't it?

What's known about that, and is there something known about their first appearance?

 

[shenzhou]

I'm thinking of: mutation accelerators, mechanisms that can predict which locations are preferable for mutations,

This sort of thing does happen. For example the hypermutation of immunoglobulin genes. It has also been found that parasite contingency genes (invloved in evading host immune system) tend to be located near telomeres a region with a locally high mutation rate. Therefore these genes where a high mutation rate is an advatage can have a high mutation rate but the rest of the genome where a very high mutation rate would be harmful has a normal mutation rate.

This sort of mechanim can be seen as a result of normal evolutionary mechanisms. If a mutation moved contingency gene near a telomere this would provide a great selective advantage to that particular parasite.

Int J Parasitol. 2003 Jan; 33(1): 29-45. Why are parasite contingency genes often associated with telomeres? Barry JD, Ginger ML, Burton P, McCulloch R. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=12547344&dopt=Abstract

Mol Biol Evol. 2001 Feb; 18(2): 120-31. Mechanisms for evolving hypervariability: the case of conopeptides. Conticello SG, Gilad Y, Avidan N, Ben-Asher E, Levy Z, Fainzilber M. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=11158371&dopt=Abstract