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Chapter 29: Problem 14

Would the rate of deleterious or beneficial mutations be a good molecular clock? Why or why not?

Short Answer

Expert verified
No, the rates of beneficial or deleterious mutations would not be a good molecular clock because mutation rates are influenced by numerous factors, resulting in non-constant rates, and thus they cannot provide consistent estimations of evolutionary time.

Step by step solution

01

Understanding Molecular Clock

A molecular clock uses the rate at which mutations accumulate in certain genes to estimate evolutionary time. The underlying assumption is that these mutations occur at a constant rate over time.
02

Rate of Beneficial and Deleterious Mutations

Benefits and risks of mutations vary greatly. Beneficial mutations can enhance survival and reproduction, but deleterious mutations can have negative effects. Both types of mutations occur at random and their rates are strongly influenced by factors such as environmental pressures and species-specific life-history traits. This variability makes it hard to provide a guidelines about their rates.
03

Evaluation as Molecular Clock

Due to the variable rates of both beneficial and deleterious mutations, they aren't consistent enough to be used as a reliable molecular clock. The molecular clock requires a reasonably constant mutation rate, which cannot be assured with either of these mutation types.

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Most popular questions from this chapter

Distinguish between anagenesis and cladogenesis. Which mechanism of speciation is more prevalent? Why?

What is a species? What types of observations do researchers analyze when trying to identify species?

Explain the type of speciation (allopatric, parapatric, or sympatric) most likely to occur under each of the following conditions: A. A pregnant female rat is transported by an ocean liner to a new continent. B. A meadow containing several species of grasses is exposed to a pesticide that promotes nondisjunction. C. In a very large lake containing several species of fish, the water level gradually falls over the course of several years. Eventually, the large lake becomes subdivided into smaller lakes, some of which are connected by narrow streams.

Alloploids are produced by crosses involving two different species. Explain why alloploids may be reproductively isolated from the two original species from which they were derived. Explain why alloploids are usually sterile, whereas allotetraploids (containing a diploid set from each species) are commonly fertile.

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