A central tenet in evolutionary theory is that mutations occur randomly with respect to their value to an organism; selection then governs whether they are fixed in a population. This principle has been challenged by long-standing theoretical models predicting that selection could modulate the rate of mutation itself. However, our understanding of how the mutation rate varies between different sites within a genome has been hindered by technical difficulties in measuring it.
Next the paper introduces the new study, in which a new technical approach is used:
Here we present a study that overcomes previous limitations by combining phylogenetic and population genetic techniques.
And finally, the results are summarized. The first result is that if evolution is true, we must believe that the basic mutation varies by more than an order of magnitude in different bacteria:
Upon comparing 34 Escherichia coli genomes, we observe that the neutral mutation rate varies by more than an order of magnitude across 2,659 genes, with mutational hot and cold spots spanning several kilobases.
The next result is that, under evolution, the variation between different mutation rates must not be random, but rather must follow a rational pattern:
Importantly, the variation is not random: we detect a lower rate in highly expressed genes and in those undergoing stronger purifying selection.
And so, given evolution, we must conclude that evolution has optimized the mutation rate:
Our observations suggest that the mutation rate has been evolutionarily optimized to reduce the risk of deleterious mutations.
Of course there is no known mechanism that could do this:
Current knowledge of factors influencing the mutation rate—including transcription-coupled repair and context-dependent mutagenesis—do not explain these observations, indicating that additional mechanisms must be involved.
But evolutionists will think of something, no matter how speculative.
The findings have important implications for our understanding of evolution and the control of mutations.
These findings have important implications for our understanding of evolution? Well sure, if by that they mean how absurd are evolution truth claims. Evolutionists have been caught again. Round up the usual suspects.