title: Generation time, life history and the substitution rate of neutral mutations.
abstract: Our understanding of molecular evolution is hampered by a lack of quantitative predictions about how life-history (LH) traits should correlate with substitution rates. Comparative studies have shown that neutral substitution rates vary substantially between species, and evidence shows that much of this diversity is associated with variation in LH traits. However, while these studies often agree, some unexplained and contradictory results have emerged. Explaining these results is difficult without a clear theoretical understanding of the problem. In this study, we derive predictions for the relationships between LH traits and substitution rates in iteroparous species by using demographic theory to relate commonly measured life-history traits to genetic generation time, and by implication to neutral substitution rates. This provides some surprisingly simple explanations for otherwise confusing patterns, such as the association between fecundity and substitution rates. The same framework can be applied to more complex life histories if full life-tables are available.
authors.affiliation: Evolutionary Biology, Zoological Institute, University of Basel, Vesalgasse 1, 4051 Basel, Switzerland Centre of Excellence in Biological Interactions and Division of Evolution Ecology and Genetics, Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory 0200, Australia jussi.lehtonen@iki.fi.
authors.forename: Jussi
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lehtonen
authors.affiliation: Centre of Excellence in Biological Interactions and Division of Evolution Ecology and Genetics, Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory 0200, Australia National Evolutionary Synthesis Center, Durham, NC 27705-4667, USA Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales 2109, Australia.
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Lanfear
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D005298:Fertility; D008954:Models, Biological; D009154:Mutation; D010641:Phenotype
keywords: fecundity; generation time; life history; molecular evolution; neutral substitution rate