Cooper: Assumptions in mutation rate

[swamidass (S. Joshua Swamidass)]

@purposenation

We may or may not be able to detect this in DNA. It would depend on the data. This is an imaginary scenario, we just cannot say for sure. Maybe we could detect it. Maybe not. Maybe, if it didn’t happen, we could rule it out. Maybe not.

That doesn’t instill me with a lot of confidence. =)

The good news is that with the right method, with data in hand you can find out how far back the evidence rules out a bottleneck. The data will tell you.