Molecular Clocks

Clocks are handy devices that have been around since the sixteenth century. They consist of two hands: the short hand dictates the mo of the day, and the long hand determines the minutes. Although the time of day may protest from country to country, clocks are universal instruments that tick at a ceaseless ramble; time is consistent and does not speed up, nor does it slow down. The inconsistent pass judgment of the ticking of the clock, is protagonist of the many reasons why the theory of Molecular Clocks is so contr all oversial. The molecular(a) clock theory, based on the neutral theory, uses the mutations that go across in proteins and DNA to determine when similar species diverged from apiece unalike in the evolutionary timeline (Cawley, 1998). In our debate, we will explain how the molecular clock theory is flawed and why it is not affectional as a universal tool to examine evolutionary lineages. The molecular clock hypothesis assumes that the rate of am inic acidic or nucleotide substitutions is constant over evolutionary time. However, no gene or protein evolves at a constant rate because the function of a gene is likely to tack over that time, particularly when the number of genes in the genome increases from simple organisms to intricate ones or when environmental conditions change (Nei, Kumar, 2000).

DNA evolution rates too vary from species to species. For example, research done at the Massey University in cutting Zealand shows that the Tuatera and Arctic Penguins have the highest molecular evolutionary rate compared to opposite physicals such as bears an d horses with a much poky molecular evoluti! onary rates (Mullen 2003). There are similarly animal species where information on their DNA is very minimal. A modern research project in California, bar-coded bird DNA, analyze the differences in the sequences of Marsh wrens to identify different subspecies. In this process, four new subspecies of Marsh Wrens were discovered (Wade, 2004). This proves that thither are some species fall out there that have...If you want to get a full essay, army it on our website: BestEssayCheap.com

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