Molecular Evolution Activities
 

This is a comprehensive bibliography (under construction) of primary and secondary sources on the neutral theory of molecular evolution. It currently covers the period 1973-2001.

Author :

Andolfatto, P.;Przeworski, M.

Year :

2000

Title :

A genome-wide departure from the standard neutral model in natural populations of Drosophila

Journal :

Genetics

Volume :

156

Issue :

1

Pages :

257-268

Date :

Sep

Short Title :

A genome-wide departure from the standard neutral model in natural populations of Drosophila

Alternate Journal :

Genetics

Custom 2 :

ISI:000089209800021

Abstract :

We analyze nucleotide polymorphism data for a large number of loci in areas of normal to high recombination in Drosophila melanogaster and D. simulans (24 and 16 loci, respectively). We find a genome-wide, systematic departure from the neutral expectation for a panmictic population at equilibrium in natural populations of both species. The distribution of sequence-based estimates of 2Nc across loci is inconsistent with the assumptions of the standard neutral theory, given the observed levels of nucleotide diversity and accepted values for recombination and mutation rates. Under these assumptions, most estimates of 2Nc are severalfold too low; in other words, both species exhibit greater intralocus linkage disequilibrium than expected. Variation in recombination or mutation rates is not sufficient to account for the excess of linkage disequilibrium. While an equilibrium island model does not seem to account for the data, more complicated forms of population structure may. A proper test of alternative demographic models will require loci to be sampled in a more consistent fashion.

Notes :

Times Cited: 5 352HQ GENETICS
 -- contributed by John Beatty, March 29, 2002