= Gene loss
<Gene loss> is evolutionary loss or functional inactivation of an inherited <gene>. A lineage can lose a function that has become unnecessary, obtain its product from a partner, or retain an alternative pathway. Losing a required function can instead be harmful; absence alone does not establish <adaptation>.
Comparative evidence must distinguish a true loss from incomplete <genome assembly> or a sequence that has diverged beyond recognition. Repeated joint losses of <EDS1>, <PAD4> and associated <plant immunity> components illustrate how loss can reveal dependence within an interacting pathway.<EDS1 and PAD4 pathway-loss study by Erin L. Baggs and others>[Abstract: convergent pathway loss]{ref}
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