High mitogenomic evolutionary rates and time dependency

TitleHigh mitogenomic evolutionary rates and time dependency
Publication TypeJournal Article
Year of Publication2009
AuthorsSubramanian, S, Denver, DR, Millar, CD, Heupink, T, Aschrafi, A, Emslie, SD, Baroni, C, Lambert, DM
JournalTrends in Genetics
Volume25
Issue11
Pagination482-486
ISSN0168-9525
Abstract

Using entire modern and ancient mitochondrial genomes of Adelie penguins (Pygoscelis adeliae) that are up to 44000 years old, we show that the rates of evolution of the mitochondrial genome are two to six times greater than those estimated from phylogenetic comparisons. Although the rate of evolution at constrained sites, including nonsynonymous positions and RNAs, varies more than twofold with time (between shallow and deep nodes), the rate of evolution at synonymous sites remains the same. The time-independent neutral evolutionary rates reported here would be useful for the study of recent evolutionary events.

DOI10.1016/j.tig.2009.09.005