Unboxing mutations: Connecting mutation types with evolutionary consequences

TL;DR

This paper argues that understanding mutation effects on evolution requires considering their population genetic and genomic impacts, linking mutation types to evolutionary outcomes like adaptation and speciation.

Contribution

It introduces a new perspective by connecting mutation types with their population genetic and genomic effects to better understand evolutionary consequences.

Findings

Mutation types influence recombination rates and chromatin structure.

Different mutation effects are linked to drift and selection processes.

Framework for quantifying mutation impact on evolution.

Abstract

Mutations are typically classified by their effects on the nucleotide sequence and by their size. Here, we argue that if our main aim is to understand the effect of mutations on evolutionary outcomes (such as adaptation or speciation), we need to instead consider their population genetic and genomic effects, from altering recombination rate to modifying chromatin. We start by reviewing known population genetic and genomic effects of different mutation types and connect these to the major evolutionary processes of drift and selection. We illustrate how mutation type can thus be linked with evolutionary outcomes and provide suggestions for further exploring and quantifying these relationships. This reframing lays a foundation for determining the evolutionary significance of different mutation types.