Which of these would, if it had acted upon a gene, prevent this gene from acting as a reliable molecular clock?
A) neutral mutations
B) genetic drift
C) mutations within introns
D) natural selection
E) most substitution mutations involving an exonic codon's third position

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Natural selection can prevent a gene from acting as a reliable molecular clock because it can accelerate or decelerate the rate of mutations in a gene based on environmental pressures and the adaptive value of the mutations, leading to non-constant rates of change.

Which of These Would, If It Had Acted Upon a Gene