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. 1971 May;68(5):984-6.
doi: 10.1073/pnas.68.5.984.

The effect of genetic linkage on the mean fitness of a population

R C Lewontin

The effect of genetic linkage on the mean fitness of a population

R C Lewontin. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1971 May.

Abstract

If many gene loci are kept in a segregating state by natural selection, the equilibrium frequencies of the genotypes in the population may be a function of the amount of recombination among the genes. It is shown that if the equilibrium vector of gametic frequencies is a continuous function of the set of recombination frequencies among genes, then the mean fitness of the population at equilibrium is a maximum in the absence of recombination. Thus, in general, restriction of recombination increases fitness.

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References

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