Environmentally triggered alterations in genes - known as epigenetic changes - can affect when a gene is activated, how robustly it is turned on and how it interacts with neighboring genes.
环境所引发的基因变异被称为“表观遗传变化”，它可能会影响基因被激活的时间、被激活的程度以及它如何与邻近基因相互配合。
Subsequent work could elucidate exactly how changes in individual genes can, over long periods of time, lead to novel species.
接下来的工作就可以确切的阐述，从长远的角度来看，个体基因中的变化是如何产生新物种的。
"This is the first major study that shows how small changes in one master regulator gene can cause a cascade of other metabolic effects in other genes," said lead author Tim Spector in a statement.
“这是第一个重要的研究，它解释了主宰调解员基因中微小的变化可以引发串联的其它基因的新陈代谢变化，”主作者Tim Spector在声明中说。
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