High mitogenomic evolutionary rates and time dependency.
Using entire modern and ancient mitochondrial genomes of Adélie 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.
Subramanian
Sankar
S
Griffith School of Environment, Griffith University, 170 Kessels Road, Nathan, Qld 4111, Australia.
Denver
Dee R
DR
Millar
Craig D
CD
Heupink
Tim
T
Aschrafi
Angelique
A
Emslie
Steven D
SD
Baroni
Carlo
C
Lambert
David M
DM
D000818:Animals; D004272:DNA, Mitochondrial / Q000737:chemistry; D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D014644:Genetic Variation; D005828:Genetics, Population; D054629:Genome, Mitochondrial / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D046429:Spheniscidae / Q000235:genetics*
D004272:DNA, Mitochondrial