Ancient DNA and Human origins: The role of gene sequence variation in the species concept
Journal:
The Human Nature Review
Number:
Volume:
2
Year:
2002
Pages:
317-321
Keywords:
ISBN:
ISSN:
URL:
Abstract:
The analysis of variations in DNA sequences has become a standard method of determining the classi-fication of plant and animals today. Sequence variation is not being considered within the context of natural selection due to Neutral Theory. The argument over DNA substitutions and speciation is one which rekindles the great debate between selectionists and mutationists . Most disturbing is the assault on the concept of species in which some phylogeneticists seem near to be arguing that every gene variation is a speciation event replacing Mayr's biological species concept. In this paper fundamental problems with the interpretation of DNA variations specific to PCR is presented in the context of recent developments in the question of human origins and the species concept.
