ESTIMATION OF AGE AND RATE OF INCREASE OF RARE VARIANTS
- 1 January 1976
- journal article
- research article
- Vol. 28 (5), 442-452
Abstract
The age or rate of increase of a variant on the basis of the present number of replicates was observed in a population. In place of previous diffusion equation analyses of age probability distributions, the likelihood for the age is studied on the basis of a discrete branching process model. Variations inherent in the gene evolution process in natural populations make it impossible to provide a reliable point estimate of the age of a specified variant, although the likelihood analysis provides a confidence interval which may place useful bounds on the period in which a variant originated. Observed distribution of numbers of several variants may also provide useful information. Problems of estimation are discussed with reference to rare variants arising in American Indian populations.This publication has 9 references indexed in Scilit:
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