A Bayesian evaluation of human mitochondrial substitution rates.

ABSTRACT: Accurate estimates of mitochondrial substitution rates are central to molecular studies of human evolution, but meaningful comparisons of published studies are problematic because of the wide range of methodologies and data sets employed. These differences are nowhere more pronounced than among rates estimated from phylogenies, genealogies, and pedigrees. By using a data set comprising mitochondrial genomes from 177 humans, we estimate substitution rates for various data partitions by using Bayesian phylogenetic analysis with a relaxed molecular clock. We compare the effect of multiple internal calibrations with the customary human-chimpanzee split. The analyses reveal wide variation among estimated substitution rates and divergence times made with different partitions and calibrations, wi

SUBMITTER: Endicott P 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2427281 | biostudies-literature | 2008 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature