User:Douce1211/Sandbox
Evolutionary rate is the the slow change in a lineage across many generations through the accumulation of mutations in heritable DNA[1]. The rate can be measured through changes in phenotype or genotype. The evolutionary rate is used to track divergences in phylogenetic tree where a new species emerges from the parent lineage.
Method
A species diverges from another when the chromosomal DNA does not share enough homology with the ancestral line to yield fertile offspring capable of meiosis. Typically, several genes from many individuals are sequenced and compared for homology and consensus sequences. The rate is measured in sequence changes across multiple genes per base pair per year of divergence between species[2]. However, not all mutations occur at the same rate; therefore, the relative frequencies of transversions and transitions must be considered.