Assume DNA from samples of a virus in 2018 diverged, on average, 9 percent from a virus found in a person from 1988.If the total amount of divergence among contemporary samples were 27 percent, then the virus most likely would have entered the human population in the year _______, assuming a molecular clock.
A) 1895
B) 1928
C) 1943
D) 1958
E) 1988

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The divergence from 1988 to 2018 is 9%, suggesting a rate of 0.3% per year. If the total divergence is 27%, it would take 90 years (27/0.3) to reach this divergence, indicating the virus entered the human population around 1928 (2018 - 90).

Assume DNA from Samples of a Virus in 2018 Diverged