The number of actual substitutions that have occurred between diverging lineages in a sequence will usually be _______ than the number of substitutions observed when sequences are compared, and this discrepancy should _______ with increasing evolutionary divergence.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The number of actual substitutions is usually greater than observed due to multiple changes at the same site, known as multiple hits, which are not always detectable. This discrepancy increases with evolutionary divergence as the likelihood of multiple hits at the same site increases over time.

The Number of Actual Substitutions That Have Occurred Between Diverging