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The Epic Interactive Encyclopedia 1997
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1992-09-02
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The use of rates of mutation in genetic
material to calculate the length of time
elapsed since two related species diverged
from each other during evolution. The method
can be based on comparisons of the DNA or of
widely occurring proteins, such as
haemoglobin. Since mutations are thought to
occur at a constant rate, the length of time
that must have elapsed in order to produce
the difference between two species can be
estimated. This information can be compared
with the evidence obtained from palaeontology
to reconstruct evolutionary events.