Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Letter
  • Published:

Biological sciences: Geographical uniformity of selectively neutral polymorphisms

Nature volume 249, pages 30–32 (1974)Cite this article

Abstract

IN a recent issue of Nature, Bulmer1 criticised the ‘neutral theory’2 of protein polymorphisms on the ground that the infinite neutral allele hypothesis of Kimura and Crow3, when combined with Malécot's two-dimensional dispersal model4,5 leads to results which do not fit to actual data6–8. In this note, we intend to show that Bulmer's conclusions are entirely due to the unwarranted assumption of infinite population size inherent in Malécot's formulation, and that when the assumption is corrected, the data in fact are consistent with the neutral theory.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

  • Purchase on Springer Link
  • Instant access to full article PDF
Buy now

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Bulmer, M. G., Nature, 241, 199 (1973).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Kimura, M., and Ohta, T., Nature, 229, 467 (1971).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Kimura, M., and Crow, J. F., Genetics, Princeton, 49, 725 (1964).

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Malécot, G., Proc. 5th Berkeley Symp. math. stat. Prob., 4, 317 (1967).

    Google Scholar 

  5. Malécot, G., The Mathematics of Heredity (Translated by Yermanos, D. M.) (Freeman, San Francisco, 1969).

    MATH  Google Scholar 

  6. Prakash, S., Lewontin, R. C., and Hubby, J. L., Genetics, Princeton, 61, 841 (1969).

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Ayala, F. J., Powell, J. R., and Dobzhansky, Th., Proc. natn. Acad. Sci., U.S.A., 68, 2480 (1971).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Lakovaara, S., and Saura, A., Genetics, Princeton, 69, 377 (1971).

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Maruyama, T., Genetics, Princeton, 70, 639 (1972).

    CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. National Institute of Genetics, Mishima, Shizuoka-ken, 411, Japan

    TAKEO MARUYAMA & MOTOO KIMURA

Authors
  1. TAKEO MARUYAMA
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. MOTOO KIMURA
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

MARUYAMA, T., KIMURA, M. Biological sciences: Geographical uniformity of selectively neutral polymorphisms. Nature 249, 30–32 (1974). https://doi.org/10.1038/249030a0

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/249030a0

This article is cited by

Comments

By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.

Search

Advanced search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing