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Evolutionary Significance of Linkage and Epistasis

  • Chapter
Mathematical Topics in Population Genetics

Part of the book series: Biomathematics ((BIOMATHEMATICS,volume 1))

Abstract

Linkage is the linear sequence of a group of non-allelic genes which forms a physically disjunct group from other linked groups of genes. The tie between closely located genes is stronger than that between genes far apart on the linear sequence. For this reason, closely linked genes are more likely to take similar evolutionary paths than those linked loosely. Epistasis is the functional interdependence or interaction of non alleles. When an effect of interaction between particular non-alleles is favorable under selection, the chance of survival of these alleles is increased in comparison to the chance for other non-alleles at those loci which do not interact favorably. Since linkage and epistasis represent physical and functional aspects of non-alleles, the joint consideration of these two factors is a necessary step for the examination of evolutionary problems of more than one locus.

Kojima acknowledges the support provided by Public Health Service Grant GM-15769 and AT-(40-1)-3681, and Lewontin that of AEC Contract AT (11-1) 1437.

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Authors
  1. K. Kojima
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  2. R. C. Lewontin
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Editor information

Ken-ichi Kojima

Additional information

This paper is dedicated to Professor Th. Dobzhansky for his seventieth birthday celebration, and his long lasting leadership in experimental population genetics.

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© 1970 Springer-Verlag Berlin · Heidelberg

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Kojima, K., Lewontin, R.C. (1970). Evolutionary Significance of Linkage and Epistasis. In: Kojima, Ki. (eds) Mathematical Topics in Population Genetics. Biomathematics, vol 1. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-46244-3_12

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-46244-3_12

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-642-46246-7

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-642-46244-3

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