Molecular Clocks

Introduction

• Molecular clocks are scientific tools used to estimate the timing of evolutionary events and the divergence of species.
• They measure the number of mutations that accumulate in a DNA sequence or amino acid sequence over time.

How Molecular Clocks Work

• Molecular clocks operate on the assumption of a constant mutation rate. They rely on differences in DNA sequences or amino acid sequences among species.
• These differences reflect the time when two species shared a common ancestor and subsequently evolved separately.

Estimating Speciation

• Molecular clocks help scientists estimate when speciation, the process of one species splitting into two, occurred.
• By comparing genetic sequences, researchers can calculate the time elapsed since the last common ancestor between two species.

Summary

• Molecular clocks are valuable tools in biology for understanding the timing of evolutionary events.
• They provide insights into the history of life on Earth by measuring genetic differences and estimating when species diverged from their common ancestors.