Neutral theory
1. Defination of neutral theory
https://evolution.berkeley.edu/glossary/neutral-theory/
https://evolution.berkeley.edu/misconceptions-about-natural-selection-and-adaptation/the-neutral-theory/Most of the genetic variation in populations is the result of mutation and genetic drift and not selection.
image.png
2. Usage of neutral theory
https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/biochemistry-genetics-and-molecular-biology/neutral-gene-theory
The neutral theory has become a useful tool for detecting Darwinian natural selection at the molecular level. This is because quantitative predictions are available under the theory. Various deviations from the prediction are interpreted as occurrence of selection. A very popular approach is to compare the patterns of synonymous and nonsynonymous substitutions in the evolution of protein-coding regions.
