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Randomness versus selection in genome evolution
- Publication Year :
- 2020
-
Abstract
- We propose a Markov chain approach for the evolution of a genealogical line of genomes. Our idealized genome has $N$ sites and each site can be in state $0$ or $1$. At each time step we pick a site at random. If the site is in state $0$ we flip it to state 1 with probability $p$ or we keep it in state $0$ with probability $1-p$. If the site is in state $1$ we flip it to state 0 with probability $1-p$ or we keep it in state $1$ with probability $p$. Even when state 1 has a selective advantage (i.e. $p>1/2$) the Markov chain is quite unlikely to approach the most fit allele (i.e. all 1's). In fact, randomness (i.e. which site is picked for a possible mutation) and selection (i.e. the value of $p$) balance each other out so that the number of $1$'s in the genome converges to a Gaussian distribution centered around $Np$.
- Subjects :
- Mathematics - Probability
Subjects
Details
- Database :
- arXiv
- Publication Type :
- Report
- Accession number :
- edsarx.2008.04112
- Document Type :
- Working Paper