You compare homologous nucleotide sequences among several pairs of species with known divergence times. A pair of species that diverged 1 million years ago has two nucleotide differences, a pair that diverged 2 million years ago has four nucleotide differences, and a pair that diverged 3 million years ago has six nucleotide differences. You have sequence data for another pair of species for which the divergence time is unknown. There are five nucleotide differences between them. Based on your clock, when did their line of ancestry diverge? A. 3.5 million years ago B. 2 million years ago C. 3 million years ago D. 2.5 million years ago
Added by Jay D.
Step 1
Step 1:** Calculate the rate of nucleotide differences per million years for each pair of species: - Pair diverged 1 million years ago with 2 nucleotide differences: 2 differences / 1 million years = 2 differences per million years - Pair diverged 2 million years Show more…
Show all steps
Your feedback will help us improve your experience
Mj A and 71 other Biology educators are ready to help you.
Ask a new question
Labs
Want to see this concept in action?
Explore this concept interactively to see how it behaves as you change inputs.
Key Concepts
Recommended Videos
You observe that species D differs from species F by 4 mutations. Species E differs from F by 2 mutations. All mutations arise in a clock like fashion.A) draw a phylogenetic tree relating the species and mark the number of mutations that arise along each branch.B) if fossil data shows that E and F diverged 10 million years ago. How long ago was the last common ancestor of D and E?
Sri K.
Humans and chimpanzees diverged about 6 million years ago. If 20 nucleotide substitutions have occurred between human and chimpanzee lineages in a sequence of mitochondrial DNA, and 30 have occurred between humans and gorillas, then, according to the molecular clock hypothesis, humans and gorillas diverged how many million(s) of years ago? Hint: what is the mutation rate in this mtDNA sequence? Show or explain your work. Can you please explain on your answer. I would like to know how to do it.
Adi S.
Imagine that you have the DNA sequences from the intron of a gene in three species called A, B, and C. Species A and B are most closely related, while C is more distantly related. The sequences of A and B differ by 18 base pairs, A and C differ by 26 base pairs, and B and C differ by 28 base pairs. Fossils show that species A and B diverged about 1.2 million years ago, but there is no fossil evidence as to when the most recent common ancestor of all three species lived. Use the genetic data to estimate that date. What assumptions are you making to get this estimate?
Keemin L.
Recommended Textbooks
Biology for AP Courses
Objective Biology for NEET
Introduction to General, Organic and Biochemistry
Transcript
18,000,000+
Students on Numerade
Trusted by students at 8,000+ universities
Watch the video solution with this free unlock.
EMAIL
PASSWORD