title: Time and biosequences.
abstract: In this paper we discuss and demonstrate the importance of several factors relative to the relationship between time and evolution of biosequences. In both quantitative and qualitative measurements of the genetic distances, the compositional constraints of the nucleotide sequences play a very important role. We demonstrate that when homologous sequences significantly differ in base composition we get erratic branching order and/or wrong evaluation of the evolutionary rates. We must consider that every gene may have a different evolutionary dynamic along its sequence, generally linked to its functional constraints; this too can seriously affect its clock-like behavior. We report some cases showing how these factors can affect the quantitative measurements of the genetic distances of biosequences.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Biochimica e Biologia Molecolare, Universita degli Studi, Bari, Italy.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Saccone
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lanave
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Pesole
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001482:Base Composition; D005075:Biological Evolution; D003574:Cytochrome c Group / Q000235:genetics; D004247:DNA / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics*; D005974:Glutamate-Ammonia Ligase / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D008957:Models, Genetic; D008967:Molecular Biology; D010802:Phylogeny; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D003574:Cytochrome c Group; D004247:DNA; D005974:Glutamate-Ammonia Ligase