The "inverse relationship between evolutionary rate and age of mammalian genes" is an artifact of increased genetic distance with rate of evolution and time of divergence
(2006) In Molecular biology and evolution 23(1). p.1-3- Abstract
It has recently been claimed that older genes tend to evolve more slowly than newer ones (Alba and Castresana 2005). By simulation of genes of equal age, we show that the inverse correlation between age and rate is an artifact caused by our inability to detect homology when evolutionary distances are large. Since evolutionary distance increases with time of divergence and rate of evolution, homologs of fast-evolving genes are frequently undetected in distantly related taxa and are, hence, misclassified as "new." This misclassification causes the mean genetic distance of 'new' genes to be overestimated and the mean genetic distance of "old" genes to be underestimated.
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
https://lup.lub.lu.se/record/2128a759-6f61-4535-a95f-c4356738be98
- author
- Elhaik, Eran LU ; Sabath, Niv and Graur, Dan
- publishing date
- 2006-01
- type
- Contribution to journal
- publication status
- published
- keywords
- Animals, Computer Simulation, Evolution, Molecular, Genes/genetics, Mammals/genetics, Models, Genetic, Phylogeny, Time Factors
- in
- Molecular biology and evolution
- volume
- 23
- issue
- 1
- pages
- 1 - 3
- publisher
- Oxford University Press
- external identifiers
-
- scopus:28944445062
- pmid:16151190
- ISSN
- 0737-4038
- DOI
- 10.1093/molbev/msj006
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- no
- id
- 2128a759-6f61-4535-a95f-c4356738be98
- date added to LUP
- 2019-11-10 17:00:05
- date last changed
- 2024-04-02 19:34:35
@article{2128a759-6f61-4535-a95f-c4356738be98, abstract = {{<p>It has recently been claimed that older genes tend to evolve more slowly than newer ones (Alba and Castresana 2005). By simulation of genes of equal age, we show that the inverse correlation between age and rate is an artifact caused by our inability to detect homology when evolutionary distances are large. Since evolutionary distance increases with time of divergence and rate of evolution, homologs of fast-evolving genes are frequently undetected in distantly related taxa and are, hence, misclassified as "new." This misclassification causes the mean genetic distance of 'new' genes to be overestimated and the mean genetic distance of "old" genes to be underestimated.</p>}}, author = {{Elhaik, Eran and Sabath, Niv and Graur, Dan}}, issn = {{0737-4038}}, keywords = {{Animals; Computer Simulation; Evolution, Molecular; Genes/genetics; Mammals/genetics; Models, Genetic; Phylogeny; Time Factors}}, language = {{eng}}, number = {{1}}, pages = {{1--3}}, publisher = {{Oxford University Press}}, series = {{Molecular biology and evolution}}, title = {{The "inverse relationship between evolutionary rate and age of mammalian genes" is an artifact of increased genetic distance with rate of evolution and time of divergence}}, url = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/molbev/msj006}}, doi = {{10.1093/molbev/msj006}}, volume = {{23}}, year = {{2006}}, }