In 1963,Margoliash discovered the unexpected genetic equidistance result after comparing cytochrome c sequences from different species.This finding,together with the hemoglobin analyses of Zuckerkandl and Pauling in 1...In 1963,Margoliash discovered the unexpected genetic equidistance result after comparing cytochrome c sequences from different species.This finding,together with the hemoglobin analyses of Zuckerkandl and Pauling in 1962,directly inspired the ad hoc molecular clock hypothesis.Unfortunately,however,many biologists have since mistakenly viewed the molecular clock as a genuine reality,which in turn inspired Kimura,King,and Jukes to propose the neutral theory of molecular evolution.Many years of studies have found numerous contradictions to the theory,and few today believe in a universal constant clock.What is being neglected,however,is that the failure of the molecular clock hypothesis has left the original equidistance result an unsolved mystery.In recent years,we fortuitously rediscovered the equidistance result,which remains unknown to nearly all researchers.Incorporating the proven virtues of existing evolutionary theories and introducing the novel concept of maximum genetic diversity,we proposed a more complete hypothesis of evolutionary genetics and reinterpreted the equidistance result and other major evolutionary phenomena.The hypothesis may rewrite molecular phylogeny and population genetics and solve major biomedical problems that challenge the existing framework of evolutionary biology.展开更多
基金supported by the State Key Laboratory of Medical Genetics,a FuRong Scholarshipthe National Natural Science Foundation of China (81171880)the National Basic Research Program of China (2011CB51001)
文摘In 1963,Margoliash discovered the unexpected genetic equidistance result after comparing cytochrome c sequences from different species.This finding,together with the hemoglobin analyses of Zuckerkandl and Pauling in 1962,directly inspired the ad hoc molecular clock hypothesis.Unfortunately,however,many biologists have since mistakenly viewed the molecular clock as a genuine reality,which in turn inspired Kimura,King,and Jukes to propose the neutral theory of molecular evolution.Many years of studies have found numerous contradictions to the theory,and few today believe in a universal constant clock.What is being neglected,however,is that the failure of the molecular clock hypothesis has left the original equidistance result an unsolved mystery.In recent years,we fortuitously rediscovered the equidistance result,which remains unknown to nearly all researchers.Incorporating the proven virtues of existing evolutionary theories and introducing the novel concept of maximum genetic diversity,we proposed a more complete hypothesis of evolutionary genetics and reinterpreted the equidistance result and other major evolutionary phenomena.The hypothesis may rewrite molecular phylogeny and population genetics and solve major biomedical problems that challenge the existing framework of evolutionary biology.
