Mutation Reflection


    Darwin's postulates about natural selection state that 1: there is variability of individuals within a species, 2: some of these variabilities are heritable, and 3: the individuals with the favorable variations reproduce the most. With this in mind thinking about mutation, I think mutation rates do evolve. Each individual in a population has a different genome, and out of each one of those could arise a mutation, possibly several. Some of these mutations are heritable, and if it is a favored mutation, will get passed on to future generations. 

    I think many mutations are influenced by the individual's environment, which can be beneficial to some populations. Take for example a population that moves around to different environments frequently. If a population is very mobile, high mutation rates increase beneficial adaptations to help the population better survive in each new environment. In this case, high mutation rates would be adaptive. 

    On the other hand, populations that have a very niche environment would benefit from a low mutation rate. Take for example Chinchillas; they are only found in the Andes Mountains of South America, and only at elevations between 10,000 and 14,000 feet. For these animals, a mutation could be detrimental for their survival, as they are only adapted to live in this one very specific environment. There is a chance that the mutation could be beneficial, but because Chinchillas are so endangered and have such a limited habitat range, they probably just want to leave their genomes how they are.




Comments

  1. Bridgett WinzerSeptember 21, 2021 at 7:48 AM

    Katie! First of all, I LOVED your meme! I had to take a picture of it so I can add it to my meme archive. Anyway, I also enjoyed the chinchilla example. Sometimes it is hard to conceptualized evolution without and example, so that one about low mutation rate helped a lot. Well done! In regards to your first paragraph, I know you stated that possibly several mutations in a population could arise, but do you think some unexpressed mutations that aren't necessarily advantageous are secretly evolving in the background? And if so, do you think those will affect the future of the population in the future even if they aren't being expressed now?

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  2. Casey WorleySeptember 22, 2021 at 8:35 AM

    Katie, I love your meme. It reminds me of how even though DNA polymerase is still very accurate with an error rate once in about 10^8 bases, there are still about 130 trillion mutations in our DNA daily! I also enjoyed reading about the chinchillas, as that is quite an interesting way to explain how some organisms might not want a mutation in their genome. Overall, great blog post!

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  3. Madison NSeptember 29, 2021 at 12:57 PM

    You're definitely on the right track with these thoughts, Katie - good work! You mention the heritability of mutations in your first paragraph, yet never quite get into *how* the rate of mutation might be heritable. What mechanisms might increase the rate of mutation? What about decrease?

    Regardless, you've got it right about when and where mutation rates might vary. If an organism is highly adapted to its environment, mutations are far more likely to screw up that delicate balance than boost it. Mutations are less optimal, so natural selection does all it can to remove their chance of happening. With high mutation rates, it's the exact opposite. Great thinking!

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  4. Kaitlyn ChappelOctober 1, 2021 at 11:05 AM

    First off, Katie, I absolutely love your meme! It made me laugh out loud which was embarassing considering I was at the union by myself surrounded by strangers, but I digress. I think you did a great job explaining mutation rates and when and where they can vary. I love chinchillas and was very thankful that you talked about them in this blog. I had no idea that they have such a specific environment needed for survival and success in reproduction. It make sense why that species would be one that wouldn't benefit from high mutation rates. Great Job!

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