Question

The neutral theory of evolution suggests that most genetic variation is due to neutral mutations that have no effect on phenotype and which are not acted on by natural selection Select all of the statements that are true and support the neutral evolution theory. Check all that apply. Check All That Apply

O Mutations in the wobble base occur more frequently than mutations in other the first or second positions in a codon
O Gene duplication cten precedes the emergence of a gene having a new function
O Iron and ens evne at the same rate
O Protestatare not to an organ survival tend to evolve faster than it proteinsson

Answer 1

The neutral theory of evolution suggests that much genetic variation comes from neutral mutations, as seen in frequent wobble base mutations and gene duplication events; essential proteins evolve slower than non-essential ones due to natural selection.

Step-by-step explanation:

The neutral theory of evolution posits that much of the genetic variation in populations is due to neutral mutations, which are those that do not significantly affect an organism's fitness and are not subject to natural selection. Supporting this idea, mutations in the wobble base position of a codon occur frequently and are often neutral because they do not change the amino acid that is produced, thanks to the redundancy of the genetic code.

Moreover, gene duplication events can lead to the creation of new genes with novel functions because they have the freedom to accumulate mutations without affecting the original gene's function. Regarding the relative evolutionary rates, proteins that are crucial to an organism's survival usually evolve more slowly than those that are not because the vital proteins cannot tolerate many changes without affecting the organism's fitness. This is a reflection of natural selection constraining evolution of critical genes, while allowing more neutral evolution in less essential genes.