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SUMMARY:Is the theory of neutral evolution right? - Thomas Fink\, CNRS / L
 IMS
DTSTART:20130307T141500Z
DTEND:20130307T151500Z
UID:TALK43501@talks.cam.ac.uk
CONTACT:Dr G Moller
DESCRIPTION:The neutral theory of evolution states that the vast majority 
 of mutations are selectively neutral (they do not affect fitness). This wa
 s put forth three decades ago\, and it remains the conventional view that 
 nearly all mutations preserve phenotype. The fraction of mutations in a po
 pulation that are neutral is the phenotype robustness r. Just how high can
  r be? We prove\, using spectral graph theory\, that the robustness r is s
 everely limited by the size s of its underlying neutral network. It means 
 that robust phenotypes must have vast neutral networks\, and that high val
 ues of robustness may not be biologically possible. We confirm our result 
 by exact enumeration of neutral networks for short sequences\, by random s
 ampling for longer sequences\, and using data from RNA molecules and the g
 enetic code.
LOCATION:TCM Seminar Room\, Cavendish Laboratory
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