Re:Some Proteins Change Their Folds to Perform Different Jobs
by adrian_b on Thursday February 04, 2021 @12:52PM
(#26027859)
Yes indeed, there are examples of dependencies that have been removed by evolution.
For example cobalt and nickel were both essential for the first living beings. However, on the continents they are much less accessible than in the oceans.
Because of that, most terrestrial plants have lost the dependency on cobalt (which is why they cannot provide vitamin B12 to those who eat them) and most have also lost the dependency on nickel (except that for many terrestrial plants nickel, while no longer strictly required, can still be useful by enabling them to use urea as a source of nitrogen, when other sources of nitrogen are scarce).
For example cobalt and nickel were both essential for the first living beings. However, on the continents they are much less accessible than in the oceans.
Because of that, most terrestrial plants have lost the dependency on cobalt (which is why they cannot provide vitamin B12 to those who eat them) and most have also lost the dependency on nickel (except that for many terrestrial plants nickel, while no longer strictly required, can still be useful by enabling them to use urea as a source of nitrogen, when other sources of nitrogen are scarce).