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Molecular evolution


Additional recommended knowledge


Principles of molecular evolution


Main article: Mutation


Causes of change in allele frequency

Main article: Population genetics


  • Mutation detailed above.
  • Gene flow or Migration: or gene admixture is the only one of the agents that makes populations closer genetically while building larger gene pools.

Molecular study of phylogeny

Main articles: Molecular systematics, Phylogenetics



The driving forces of evolution

Main articles: Neutral theory of molecular evolution, Modern evolutionary synthesis, Mutationism

Depending on the relative importance assigned to the various forces of evolution, three perpsectives provide evolutionary explanations for molecular evolution.[1]

While recognizing the importance of random drift for silent mutations,[2] selectionists hypotheses argue that balancing and positive selection are the driving forces of molecular evolution. Thoses hypotheses are often based on the broader view called panselectionism, the idea that selection is the only force strong enough to explain evolution, relaying random drift and mutations to minor roles.[1]

Neutralists hypotheses emphasize the importance of mutation, purifying selection and random genetic drift.[3] The introduction of the neutral theory by Kimura,[4] quickly followed by King and Jukes' own findings,[5] lead to a fierce debate about the relevance of neodarwinism at the molecular level. The nearly neutral theory expanded the neutralist perspective, suggesting that several mutations are nearly neutral, which means both random drift and natural selection is relevant to their dynamics.[6][7]

Mutationists hypotheses emphasize random drift and biases in mutation patterns.[8] Suedoka was the first to propose a modern mutationist view. He proposed that the variation in GC content was not the result of positive selection, but a consequence of the GC mutational pressure.[9]

Related fields



Key researchers in molecular evolution


Journals and societies

Journals dedicated to molecular evolution include Molecular Biology and Evolution, Journal of Molecular Evolution, and Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. Research in molecular evolution is also published in journals of genetics, molecular biology, genomics, systematics, or evolutionary biology. The Society for Molecular Biology and Evolution publishes the journal "Molecular Biology and Evolution" and holds an annual international meeting.

See also

Further reading

  • Li, W.-H. (2006). Molecular Evolution. Sinauer. ISBN 0878934804. 
  • Lynch, M. (2007). The Origins of Genome Architecture. Sinauer. ISBN 0878934847. 


  1. ^ a b Graur, D. and Li, W.-H. (2000). Fundamentals of molecular evolution. Sinauer. 
  2. ^ Gillespie, J. H (1991). The Causes of Molecular Evolution. Oxford University Press, New York. ISBN 0-19-506883-1. 
  4. ^ Kimura, Motoo (1968). "Evolutionary rate at the molecular level". Nature 217: 624-626.
  5. ^ King, J.L. and Jukes, T.H. (1969). "Non-Darwinian Evolution". Science 164: 788-798.
  6. ^ Ohta, T (1992). "The nearly neutral theory of molecular evolution". Annual Review of Ecology and Systematics 23: 263-286.
  7. ^ Ohta, T. (2002). "Near-neutrality in evolution of genes and gene regulation". Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 99: 16134-16137.
  9. ^ Sueoka, N. (1964). "On the evolution of informational macromolecules", in In: Bryson, V. and Vogel, H.J.: Evolving genes and proteins. Academic Press, New-York, 479-496. 
This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Molecular_evolution". A list of authors is available in Wikipedia.