Question

consider that nuclear genes in humans and rhesus monkeys differ in 7 percent of their bases, and substitutions occur at a rate of 1 percent per 1 million years. in this case, how many years would have presumably passed since the two species diverged?

Answer 1

To calculate the presumed time since humans and rhesus monkeys diverged, you divide the 7 percent nuclear base difference by the mutation rate of 1 percent per million years, which results in 7 million years.

Step-by-step explanation:

The presumed time since humans and rhesus monkeys diverged, given a 7 percent difference in their nuclear bases and a substitution rate of 1 percent per million years, would be 7 million years.

Genetic differences resulting from mutations provide insights into the evolutionary timeline of species. The rate of mutation, or what we can consider as a genetic 'clock', helps infer the time at which species diverged from a common ancestor. With each base substituting at a rate of 1 percent per 1 million years, and a 7 percent difference in base pairs between humans and rhesus monkeys, a simple calculation determines the time of divergence.

By dividing the percent difference by the substitution rate (7% / 1% per million years), we obtain the time since divergence as 7 million years. This reflects the broad time that has passed since the two species shared a common ancestor, allowing for the accumulation of differences in their respective genomes.