title: Genome size: does bigger mean worse?
abstract: Genome sizes vary enormously. This variation in DNA content correlates with effective population size, suggesting that deleterious additions to the genome can accumulate in small populations. On this view, the increased complexity of biological functions associated with large genomes partly reflects evolutionary degeneration.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Cell, Animal and Population Biology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH9 3JT, UK.
authors.forename: Brian
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Charlesworth
authors.forename: Nick
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Barton
mesh_terms: D004251:DNA Transposable Elements / Q000235:genetics; D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D040961:Genetic Drift; D005828:Genetics, Population; D016678:Genome; D007438:Introns / Q000235:genetics; D008957:Models, Genetic; D009154:Mutation / Q000235:genetics; D011156:Population Density; D012641:Selection, Genetic
chemical_list: D004251:DNA Transposable Elements