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Interaction of selection and biased gene conversion in a multigene family. (English) Zbl 0551.92009

A model of the evolutionary dynamics of a multigene family in a finite population under the joint effects of selection and (possibly biased) gene conversion is analyzed. It is assumed that the loss or fixation of a polymorphism at any particular locus in the gene family occurs on a much faster time scale than the introduction of new alleles to a monomorphic locus by gene conversion. A general formula for the fixation of a new allele throughout a multigene family for a wide class of selection functions with biased gene conversion is given for this assumption.
Finally, I analyze a fairly general class of underdominant speciation models involving multigene families, concluding for these models under weak conversion that although the probability of fixation may be relatively high, the expected time ot fixation is extremely long, so that speciation by ”molecular drive” is unlikely.

MSC:

92D10 Genetics and epigenetics
92D15 Problems related to evolution
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