Cited by 1,317Genomics and Phylogenetic StudiesEvolution and Genetic DynamicsEvolution and Paleontology Studies

Estimating the rate of evolution of the rate of molecular evolution

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Thorne, J. L., Kishino, H., Painter, I. S.·1998·Molecular Biology and Evolution

Abstract

A simple model for the evolution of the rate of molecular evolution is presented. With a Bayesian approach, this model can serve as the basis for estimating dates of important evolutionary events even in the absence of the assumption of constant rates among evolutionary lineages. The method can be used in conjunction with any of the widely used models for nucleotide substitution or amino acid replacement. It is illustrated by analyzing a data set of rbcL protein sequences.

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Crossref · 10.1093/oxfordjournals.molbev.a025892

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  • In Bayesian treatments of the relaxed clock, rates are either assigned to branches or to nodes.

    “To convert this tree from units of time to molecular evolutionary units, the rates are either assigned to branches [ 15, 17] or to nodes [ 53, 54].”

    From Relaxed Phylogenetics and Dating with Confidence (2006) · cites this paper as [15]

    The Hierarchical Model of Rate Evolution defines rates on the branches of the rooted tree and treats node times as separate variables. The Rate Proposal Steps likewise propose a new rate for each branch. This contradicts the node-assigned rates attributed to this paper by the citation attached to “nodes.” (LLM, conf=0.89)

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  • Assigning an age to a particular node is only possible when the tree itself is assumed to be known and fixed, a limitation of previous relaxed-clock implementations.

    “Assigning an age to a particular node is only possible when the tree itself is assumed to be known and fixed, a limitation of previous relaxed-clock implementations [ 15, 17, 54].”

    From Relaxed Phylogenetics and Dating with Confidence (2006) · cites this paper as [15]

    In “Multivariate Normal Approximation” (page unavailable), the paper says its implementation assumes the topology relating the sequences is known before estimating divergence times. This supports the fixed-tree limitation for this implementation, but not the broader assertion that assigning a node age is only possible under that assumption. (LLM, conf=0.86)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
  • The model permits independent gain and loss of conservation on multiple lineages and encourages nearby branches to have the same state and substitution rate, which is reasonable for closely related species and branches in a phylogeny.

    “Such a model permits independent gain and loss of conservation on multiple lineages and also encourages nearby branches to have the same state and substitution rate, which is reasonable for closely related species and branches in a phylogeny and is also a common assumption in phylogenetics”

    From Bayesian Detection of Convergent Rate Changes of Conserved Noncoding Elements on Phylogenetic Trees (2019) · cites this paper as Thorne et al. 1998

    The Hierarchical Model of Rate Evolution section allows rates to differ among branches and models autocorrelation between ancestral and descendant branch rates. It does not model conservation states or independent gains and losses of conservation. The Discussion and Conclusions section also says widely used phylogeny-reconstruction methods ignore the potential information from rate autocorrelation, rather than establishing it as a common assumption. (LLM, conf=0.88)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
  • Intermediate models employing relaxed molecular clocks have been described.

    “Recently, it has been realized that less drastic alternatives to the unrooted model of phylogeny may exist. Instead of dispensing with the molecular clock entirely, attempts have been made to relax the molecular clock assumption by allowing the rate to vary across the tree [ 13– 15].”

    From Relaxed Phylogenetics and Dating with Confidence (2006) · cites this paper as [15]

  • Bayesian relaxed-clock methods model the molecular rate among lineages as varying in an autocorrelated manner, with the rate in each branch drawn a priori from a parametric distribution whose mean is a function of the rate on the parent branch.

    “These model the molecular rate among lineages as varying in an autocorrelated manner, with the rate in each branch being drawn (a priori) from a parametric distribution whose mean is a function of the rate on the parent branch.”

    From Relaxed Phylogenetics and Dating with Confidence (2006) · cites this paper as [15]

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Research works printed but not linked: 1

  1. [8]8. KARLIN, S., and H. M. TAYLOR. 1975. A first course in sto- chastic processes. 2nd edition. Academic Press, San Diego.

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Authors
Thorne, J. L., Kishino, H., & Painter, I. S.
Affiliations
North Carolina State University (US)
Venue
Molecular Biology and Evolution
Published
1998-12-01
Volume
15
Issue
12
Pages
1647-1657
ISSN
  • 0737-4038 (ISSN-L)
  • 1537-1719
OpenAlex
W2051296828
Cited by
1,317
References
23
Citations by year
2026: 20 · 2025: 19 · 2024: 29 · 2023: 32 · 2022: 27 · 2021: 28 · 2020: 48 · 2019: 41 · 2018: 27 · 2017: 29 · 2016: 35 · 2015: 43 · 2014: 68 · 2013: 46 · 2012: 63
FWCI
4.54
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Molecular Biology and Evolution (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Funders
  • National Institutes of Health
  • National Institute of General Medical Sciences (P01-GM45344, P01GM045344)
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › Genomics and Phylogenetic Studies
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Genetics › Evolution and Genetic Dynamics
  • Physical Sciences › Earth and Planetary Sciences › Paleontology › Evolution and Paleontology Studies
Keywords
molecular evolution rate, rate heterogeneity, Bayesian model, divergence time estimation, nucleotide substitution models, rbcL, protein sequences, molecular clock
MeSH terms
Algorithms, Biological Evolution, Models, Genetic, Phylogeny, Plant Proteins, Plants, Ribulose-Bisphosphate Carboxylase, Time, Models, Statistical, Evolution, Molecular

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