Calibrating the clock: Using stochastic processes to measure the rate of evolution

Simon Tavaré
University of Southern California

Chapter 5 (pp 114-152) in
Calculating the Secrets of Life
Eds: E.S. Lander, M.S. Waterman. National Academy Press, 1995.

Abstract

DNA sequences record the history of life. Although DNA replication is remarkably accurate, mutations do occur at a small but non-negligible rate, with the result that an individual's descendants begin to diverge in DNA sequence over time. By examining DNA sequences among different species or among different individuals within a single species, it is possible to reconstruct aspects of their evolutionary history. Such studies have been pursued with special interest in the human, where an unusual DNA sequence called the mitochondrial genome has been used to trace human migrations and human evolution. The author shows how mathematical tools from the theory of stochastic processes assist in calibrating the molecular clock inherent in DNA sequences.

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