Rate variation does not invalidate the equidistance result that supports the constant mutation rate hypothesis
Shi Huang, The Burnham Institute
5 February 2009
There are data as in your nice paper that support rate variation. Rodents have faster mutation rate than the great apes. But there are also data that support constant or similar mutation rate. Thus, all mammals are equidistant to a simpler outgroup such as birds. The constant mutation rate or molecular clock hypothesis was not invented for no reason. It cannot be casually dismissed without a cost. The cost is that you now cannot explain the equidistance result if you allow different species to have different mutation rates. <br><br>You may find an alternative explanation of your data in my paper,<br>“Inverse relationship between genetic diversity and epigenetic complexity” (http://precedings.nature.com/documents/1751/version/2). <br>
Competing interests
None declared
Rate variation does not invalidate the equidistance result that supports the constant mutation rate hypothesis
Shi Huang, The Burnham Institute
11 February 2009
There are data as in your nice paper that support rate variation. Rodents have faster mutation rate than the great apes. But there are also data that support constant or similar mutation rate. Thus, all mammals are equidistant to a simpler outgroup such as birds. The constant mutation rate or molecular clock hypothesis was not invented for no reason. It cannot be casually dismissed without a cost. The cost is that you now cannot explain the equidistance result if you allow different species to have different mutation rates.
You may find an alternative explanation of your data in my paper, “Inverse relationship between genetic diversity and epigenetic complexity” (http://precedings.nature.com/documents/1751/version/2).
Rate variation does not invalidate the equidistance result that supports the constant mutation rate hypothesis
5 February 2009
There are data as in your nice paper that support rate variation. Rodents have faster mutation rate than the great apes. But there are also data that support constant or similar mutation rate. Thus, all mammals are equidistant to a simpler outgroup such as birds. The constant mutation rate or molecular clock hypothesis was not invented for no reason. It cannot be casually dismissed without a cost. The cost is that you now cannot explain the equidistance result if you allow different species to have different mutation rates. <br><br>You may find an alternative explanation of your data in my paper,<br>“Inverse relationship between genetic diversity and epigenetic complexity” (http://precedings.nature.com/documents/1751/version/2). <br>
Competing interests
None declared
Rate variation does not invalidate the equidistance result that supports the constant mutation rate hypothesis
11 February 2009
There are data as in your nice paper that support rate variation. Rodents have faster mutation rate than the great apes. But there are also data that support constant or similar mutation rate. Thus, all mammals are equidistant to a simpler outgroup such as birds. The constant mutation rate or molecular clock hypothesis was not invented for no reason. It cannot be casually dismissed without a cost. The cost is that you now cannot explain the equidistance result if you allow different species to have different mutation rates.
You may find an alternative explanation of your data in my paper, “Inverse relationship between genetic diversity and epigenetic complexity” (http://precedings.nature.com/documents/1751/version/2).
Competing interests
None declared