Silent nucleotide substitutions and the molecular evolutionary clock.

T H Jukes

doi:10.1126/science.7434017

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PubMed · 7434017

Silent nucleotide substitutions and the molecular evolutionary clock.

T H Jukes

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Abstract

Half of the nucleotide substitutions during the evolutionary divergence of genes in animals, bacteria, and viruses are silent changes. These result from an inherent biochemical property of DNA and are fixed by genetic drift. Evolution may be viewed as a device for protecting DNA molecules from extinction.

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Animals Base Sequence Biological Evolution Codon DNA DNA, Viral Genes Genetic Code Globins Histones Mutation RNA, Messenger Journal Article Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

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T H Jukes. 1980-11-28. Silent nucleotide substitutions and the molecular evolutionary clock.. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.7434017

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