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The genetic equidistance result of molecular evolution is independent of mutation rates

Shi Huang¹

Correspondence: (Login to view email address)

1. The Burnham Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037

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Document Type:

Manuscript

Date:

Received 27 March 2008 20:23 UTC; Posted 28 March 2008

Subjects:

Evolutionary Biology and Ecology, Genetics, Bioinformatics

Tags:

• genetic equidistance result
• molecular clock
• mutation rate
• Evolution

Abstract:

The genetic equidistance result shows that sister species are approximately equidistant to an outgroup as measured by DNA or protein dissimilarity. The equidistance result is the most direct evidence, and remains the only evidence, for the constant mutation rate interpretation of this result, known as the molecular clock. However, data independent of the equidistance result have steadily accumulated in recent years that often violate a constant mutation rate. Many have automatically inferred non-equidistance whenever a non-constant mutation rate was observed, based on the unproven assumption that the equidistance result is an outcome of constant mutation rate. Here it is shown that the equidistance result remains valid even when different species can be independently shown to have different mutation rates. A random sampling of 50 proteins shows that nearly all proteins display the equidistance result despite the fact that many proteins have non-constant mutation rates. Therefore, the genetic equidistance result does not necessarily mean a constant mutation rate. Observations of different mutation rates do not invalidate the genetic equidistance result.

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This document is licensed to the public under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License

How to cite this document:

Huang, Shi. The genetic equidistance result of molecular evolution is independent of mutation rates. Available from Nature Precedings <http://hdl.handle.net/10101/npre.2008.1733.1> (2008)

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