John Tyler Bonner's call to re-evaluate evolutionary theory in light of major transitions in life on Earth (e.g., from the first origins of microbial life to the evolution of sex, and the origins of multicellularity) resonate with recent discoveries on epigenetics and the concept of the hologenome. Current studies of genome evolution often mistakenly focus only on the inheritance of DNA between parent and offspring. These are in line with the widely accepted Neo-Darwinian framework that pairs Mendelian genetics with an emphasis on natural selection as explanations for the evolution of biodiversity on Earth. Increasing evidence for widespread symbioses complicates this narrative, as is seen in Scott Gilbert's discussion of the concept of the holobiont in this series: Organisms across the tree of life coexist with substantial influence on one another through endosymbiosis, symbioses, and host-associated microbiomes. The holobiont theory, coupled with observations from molecular studies, also requires us to understand genomes in a new way-by considering the interactions underlain by the genome of a host plus its associated microbes, a conglomerate entity referred to as the hologenome. We argue that the complex patterns of inheritance of these genomes coupled with the influence of symbionts on host gene expression make the concept of the hologenome an epigenetic phenomenon. We further argue that the aspects of the hologenome challenge of the modern evolutionary synthesis, which requires updating to remain consistent with Darwin's intent of providing natural laws that underlie the evolution of life on Earth.

中文翻译：

---

完整基因组的概念是一种表观遗传现象，对现代进化合成的各个方面提出了挑战。

约翰·泰勒·邦纳（John Tyler Bonner）呼吁根据地球生命的重大转变（例如，从微生物生命的最初起源到性进化，以及多细胞性的起源）重新评估进化理论，这与表观遗传学和概念的最新发现产生了共鸣。全息组。当前对基因组进化的研究常常错误地只集中在父母与后代之间的DNA遗传上。这些符合被广泛接受的新达尔文主义框架，该框架将孟德尔遗传学与强调自然选择相结合，以解释地球上生物多样性的演变。越来越多的关于共生共生的证据使这种叙述变得复杂，正如斯科特·吉尔伯特（Scott Gilbert）在本系列中对“全生命周期”概念的讨论所看到的：通过共生共生，共生酶和与宿主相关的微生物群系，整个生命树中的生物彼此并存并产生重大影响。全息理论与分子研究的结果相结合，还要求我们以一种新的方式来理解基因组，方法是考虑宿主基因组及其相关微生物（一种称为“完整基因组”）的微生物的基因组之间的相互作用。我们认为这些基因组遗传的复杂模式，加上共生体对宿主基因表达的影响，使完整基因组的概念成为表观遗传现象。我们进一步认为，现代进化综合的全基因组挑战的各个方面要求进行更新，以保持与达尔文提出提供地球生命进化基础的自然规律的意图相一致。