Which event or situation would violate an assumption of the molecular clock?
A) The gene that encodes histone H4 evolves much more slowly than the gene that encodes the enzyme hexokinase.
B) Mitochondrial DNA evolves faster than most nuclear DNA.
C) Lineages with organisms that have long generation times evolve more slowly than those with shorter generation times.
D) The taxa involved evolved from a common ancestor more than 100 million years ago.
E) The taxa involved evolved from a common ancestor less than 10,000 years ago.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The molecular clock hypothesis assumes that DNA sequences evolve at a constant rate over time. However, if lineages with organisms that have long generation times evolve more slowly than those with shorter generation times, it suggests that the rate of evolution is not constant across all lineages, thereby violating the assumption of the molecular clock.

Which Event or Situation Would Violate an Assumption of the Molecular