In a sequence of DNA taken from various species of snails,researchers have found that the rates of nonsynonymous substitutions and synonymous substitutions are roughly the same.What can we infer from this pattern?
A) This gene has a high mutation rate.
B) This gene has a low mutation rate.
C) Strong stabilizing selection is acting on this gene.
D) Strong positive selection is acting on this gene.
E) Most of the amino-acid substitutions at this gene are neutral.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

If the rates of nonsynonymous substitutions and synonymous substitutions are roughly the same, then it suggests that most of the amino acid substitutions at this gene are neutral, meaning that they do not affect the protein function. This pattern is consistent with the neutral theory of evolution, which states that most genetic variation has no effect on fitness and therefore accumulates randomly over time.

In a Sequence of DNA Taken from Various Species of Snails,researchers