Explain Ayala's neutral theory of molecular evolution.
The neutral theory, which I helped develop, suggests that a significant proportion of evolutionary changes in the DNA sequences of organisms, particularly at the molecular level, are not driven by the adaptive pressures of natural selection. Instead, these changes arise from the random fixation of neutral mutations through genetic drift. This theory doesn't deny the role of selection entirely, but it highlights the substantial impact of stochastic processes in shaping genetic variation within and between species.
Ask Francisco J. Ayala the follow-up →