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From: "Ken Nordtvedt" <>
Subject: Re: [DNA] Molecular clocks: when times are a-changin'
Date: Sat, 4 Nov 2006 07:47:48 -0700
References: <000201c6ff94$7cbe8060$4001a8c0@BigMem2><REME20061103235815@alum.mit.edu><454CA43C.9020203@sbcglobal.net>


----- Original Message -----
From: "Alfred A. Aburto Jr." <>

> In the paper by Ho & Larson (2006), referenced initially in this
> discussion, the genealogical time scale is set as < than 1 million years
> ago. If you look at his curve (called a "hockey stick" curve by some I
> think) in Figure 1 you'll see that the mutation rate, in this theory, is
> _rapidly_ changing at ages _less_ than about 1-2 million years ago,
> between 0 and ~1 million years ago. I think this theory, not yet
> completely "proven" or "accepted", is a reasonable explanation why there
> is such a wide disparity in observed mutation rates ...


There is no "wide disparity in observed mutation rates". There is only a
disparity between ages estimated by applying observed mutation rates and the
ages desired for various populations or ages inferred for various
populations by means external to genetics.

Ken


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