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Molecular Clocks: Decoding Evolutionary History through Mutations

Molecular clocks use the accumulation of mutations in DNA to estimate evolutionary time. By studying the mutation rates in related species using mitochondrial DNA and ribosomal RNA, scientists can trace back the evolutionary history and determine the time of key events.

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Molecular Clocks: Decoding Evolutionary History through Mutations

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  1. KEY CONCEPT Molecular clocks provide clues to evolutionary history.

  2. Mutations add up at a fairly constant rate in the DNA of species that evolved from a common ancestor. Ten million years later— one mutation in each lineage Another ten million years later— one more mutation in each lineage Molecular clocks use mutations to estimate evolutionary time. • Mutations add up at a constant rate in related species. • This rate is the ticking of the molecular clock. • As more time passes, there will be more mutations. The DNA sequences from two descendant species show mutations that have accumulated (black). The mutation rate of this sequence equals one mutation per ten million years. DNA sequence from a hypothetical ancestor

  3. Scientists estimate mutation rates by linking molecular data and real time. • an event known to separate species • the first appearance of a species in fossil record

  4. Mitochondrial DNA and ribosomal RNA provide two types of molecular clocks. • Different molecules have different mutation rates. • higher rate, better for studying closely related species • lower rate, better for studying distantly related species

  5. grandparents mitochondrial DNA nuclear DNA parents Mitochondrial DNA is passed down only from the mother of each generation,so it is not subject to recombination. child Nuclear DNA is inherited from both parents, making it more difficult to trace back through generations. • Mitochondrial DNA is used to study closely related species. • mutation rate ten times faster than nuclear DNA • passed down unshuffled from mother to offspring

  6. Ribosomal RNA is used to study distantly related species. • many conservative regions • lower mutation rate than most DNA

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