Evolving rates: foundations for the next generation of molecular clocks

Dates estimated from DNA sequences have a wide range of applications, including evolutionary biology, conservation prioritisation and epidemiology. These methods rely on accurate rate estimates, but current models lack information about the biological drivers of rates of genomic change. Assumptions about rates influence date estimates, but our assumptions are unrealistic. This proposal aims to provide the first comprehensive investigation of the causes and consequences of variation in rate of DNA sequence evolution across 3 kingdoms of life, test reliability of current methods, identify potentially misleading estimates of disease origin or conservation priorities, and develop new approaches with empirically-informed models of rate change.