Survival under high mutation rates

TL;DR

This paper presents a stochastic model showing that, contrary to common belief, high mutation rates can enable a population to survive despite genotype extinctions, challenging traditional thresholds for population survival.

Contribution

It introduces a stochastic model demonstrating that populations may persist at high mutation rates, overturning the conventional idea of a mutation threshold for extinction.

Findings

Population dies out at low mutation probability due to extinctions.

Population can survive at high mutation probability.

High mutation rates may prevent extinction despite genotype losses.

Abstract

We consider a stochastic model for an evolving population. We show that in the presence of genotype extinctions the population dies out for a low mutation probability but may survive for a high mutation probability. This turns upside down the widely held belief that above a certain mutation threshold a population cannot survive.