Drake's Rule as a Consequence of Approaching Channel Capacity

TL;DR

This paper proposes that Drake's rule, which states that the number of mutations per genome per generation is roughly constant within a phylum, can be explained by genomes operating near their maximum information capacity, approaching channel capacity.

Contribution

It introduces a formal model linking genetic information storage limits to mutation rates, explaining Drake's rule with minimal assumptions.

Findings

Genomes operate near their maximum informational capacity.

Mutation rates are near the upper limit dictated by information storage capacity.

The model provides a simple explanation for the universality of Drake's rule.

Abstract

How mutations accumulate in genomes is the central question of molecular evolution theories, however our understanding of this process is far from complete. Drake's rule is a notoriously universal property of genomes from microbes to mammals - the number of (functional) mutations per-genome per-generation is approximately constant within a phylum, despite orders of magnitude differences in genome sizes and diverse populations properties. So far there is no concise explanation for this phenomenon. A formal model of storage of genetic information suggests that a genome of any species operates near its maximum informational storage capacity, and the mutation rate is near its upper limit, providing a simple explanation for the rule with minimal assumptions.