Comparing evolvability and variability of quantitative traits

Article Abstract:

Over 200 quantitative genetic studies of animal populations yielding 842 estimates of trait means, variances and heritabilities were analyzed. The results showed that traits highly fit to selective pressures have higher additive genetic and nongenetic variability based on coefficient of variation criterion than traits under weak selection. The results, which do not conform with the expected heritability components, can be explained by the presence of high residual variation, the influence of other genetic and environmental events and the lack of stabilizing selection.

author: Houle, David
Variation (Biology), Quantitative genetics

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Reply to Richard R. Hudson

Article Abstract:

The elucidation of a species phylogeny should not be attempted unless the gene genealogy can be inferred with confidence. In addition to this limitation, the use of the infinite allele model to approximate the distribution of the frequency of allele A at node 1 may introduce errors. However, the basic results of the analysis may be obtained without using the infinite allele model. If there are two alleles segregating without mutations, P(T) = (2 - e raised to the negative T/2 + e raised to the negative T) can be obtained for M = 0.

author: Wu Chung-I
Letter to the Editor

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A new method of inference of ancestral nucleotide and amino acid sequences

Article Abstract:

A study was conducted to evaluate a statistical model for reconstructing the nucleotide or amino acid sequences of extinct ancestors, given the phylogeny and sequences of the extinct species. Data on presen-day sequences were analyzed using a model of nucleotide or amino acid substitution. Maximum likelihood estimates of parameters were used to compare posterior probabilities of assignments of character states to interior nodes of the tree.

author: Yang, Ziheng, Kumar, Sudhir, Nei, Masatoshi
Nucleotide sequence, Base sequence

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subjects list: Analysis, Evolution (Biology), Evolution, Phylogeny
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