Evidence map›Paper›PMID 29722831›Full record

ArticleMolecular biology and evolution2018

The Neutral Theory in Light of Natural Selection.

Andrew D Kern, Matthew W Hahn

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Molecular biology and evolution, 2018. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 103 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
103citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

103 citing papers in PubMed.

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  12. Accessible, realistic genome simulation with selection using stdpopsim.bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology · 2025
    Article
  13. Article
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43 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

2 authors.

Andrew D KernDepartment of Genetics, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ.
Matthew W HahnDepartment of Biology and Department of Computer Science, Indiana University Bloomington, IN.

Funding

POPULATION GENOMICS OF ADAPTATIONR01GM117241 · NIGMS · UNIVERSITY OF OREGON · PI KERN, ANDREW D · 2017 to 2020
$1.2M
NIGMS NIH HHS R01 GM117241
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

In this perspective, we evaluate the explanatory power of the neutral theory of molecular evolution, 50 years after its introduction by Kimura. We argue that the neutral theory was supported by unreliable theoretical and empirical evidence from the beginning, and that in light of modern, genome-scale data, we can firmly reject its universality. The ubiquity of adaptive variation both within and between species means that a more comprehensive theory of molecular evolution must be sought.

Indexed as

Evolution, MolecularGenetic DriftSelection, GeneticAnimalsHumans

Identifiers

PMID29722831
PMCPMC5967545

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.