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Applications of selective neutrality tests to molecular ecology
Author(s) -
Ford Michael J.
Publication year - 2002
Publication title -
molecular ecology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.619
H-Index - 225
eISSN - 1365-294X
pISSN - 0962-1083
DOI - 10.1046/j.1365-294x.2002.01536.x
Subject(s) - neutrality , biology , neutral theory of molecular evolution , selection (genetic algorithm) , natural selection , ecology , statistical hypothesis testing , molecular ecology , evolutionary biology , computer science , epistemology , artificial intelligence , sociology , population , statistics , genetics , mathematics , philosophy , demography , gene
This paper reviews how statistical tests of neutrality have been used to address questions in molecular ecology are reviewed. The work consists of four major parts: a brief review of the current status of the neutral theory; a review of several particularly interesting examples of how statistical tests of neutrality have led to insight into ecological problems; a brief discussion of the pitfalls of assuming a strictly neutral model if it is false; and a discussion of some of the opportunities and problems that molecular ecologists face when using neutrality tests to study natural selection.