Motoo Kimura's neutral theory of molecular evolution

E473475

evolutionary theory population genetics theory scientific theory

Motoo Kimura's neutral theory of molecular evolution is a foundational concept in evolutionary biology proposing that most genetic variation and molecular changes are selectively neutral and shaped primarily by random genetic drift rather than natural selection.

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Observed surface forms (2)

Surface form	Occurrences
neutral theory of molecular evolution	2
The Neutral Theory of Molecular Evolution	1

Statements (48)

Predicate	Object
instanceOf	evolutionary theory ⓘ population genetics theory ⓘ scientific theory ⓘ
addresses	discrepancy between phenotypic evolution and molecular evolution rates ⓘ explanation of high levels of protein polymorphism ⓘ
assumes	effective population size influences fixation of neutral mutations ⓘ many mutations are selectively neutral or nearly neutral ⓘ
clarifies	distinction between molecular evolution and phenotypic evolution ⓘ
contrastsWith	classical Darwinian view that most substitutions are driven by positive selection ⓘ
coreClaim	most evolutionary changes at the molecular level are selectively neutral ⓘ most polymorphisms at the molecular level are selectively neutral ⓘ
criticizedFor	underestimating the role of positive selection at the molecular level ⓘ
emphasizes	role of genetic drift over natural selection at the molecular level ⓘ
field	evolutionary biology ⓘ molecular evolution ⓘ population genetics ⓘ
historicalContext	developed during early era of molecular biology and sequencing ⓘ formulated after discovery of extensive protein polymorphism by electrophoresis ⓘ
influenced	development of molecular population genetics ⓘ interpretation of DNA and protein sequence data ⓘ models of sequence evolution used in phylogenetics ⓘ tests for detecting natural selection at the molecular level ⓘ
influencedBy	Wrightian population genetics NERFINISHED ⓘ diffusion theory in population genetics ⓘ
keyPublication	Kimura 1968 Nature paper "Evolutionary Rate at the Molecular Level" NERFINISHED ⓘ Motoo Kimura 1983 book "The Neutral Theory of Molecular Evolution" NERFINISHED ⓘ
mechanism	mutation ⓘ random genetic drift ⓘ
predicts	high levels of molecular polymorphism within populations ⓘ molecular clock-like constancy of substitution rates over time ⓘ rate of neutral substitution equals neutral mutation rate ⓘ weak correlation between molecular change and organismal adaptation ⓘ
proposedBy	Motoo Kimura NERFINISHED ⓘ
publicationYear	1968 ⓘ
relatedConcept	genetic drift ⓘ molecular clock hypothesis ⓘ molecular polymorphism ⓘ nearly neutral theory of molecular evolution NERFINISHED ⓘ selective neutrality ⓘ synonymous substitution ⓘ
scope	focuses on molecular changes rather than phenotypic adaptations ⓘ
status	baseline null model for molecular evolution ⓘ foundational concept in modern evolutionary biology ⓘ
supportedBy	high levels of silent and synonymous variation in genomes ⓘ observations of approximately constant amino acid substitution rates ⓘ
usedIn	design of neutrality tests such as Tajima's D ⓘ interpretation of polymorphism and divergence data ⓘ models of codon and nucleotide substitution ⓘ

Referenced by (4)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Unified Neutral Theory of Biodiversity and Biogeography → influencedBy → Motoo Kimura's neutral theory of molecular evolution ⓘ

Motoo Kimura → knownFor → Motoo Kimura's neutral theory of molecular evolution ⓘ

this entity surface form: neutral theory of molecular evolution

Motoo Kimura → theoryProposed → Motoo Kimura's neutral theory of molecular evolution ⓘ

this entity surface form: neutral theory of molecular evolution

Motoo Kimura → notableWork → Motoo Kimura's neutral theory of molecular evolution ⓘ

this entity surface form: The Neutral Theory of Molecular Evolution