We need to make a brief foray into one aspect of the history of molecular biology to unravel the paradox. In 1968, the Japanese geneticist Motoo Kimura proposed the “neutral theory” of molecular evolution.8 Kimura contended that most changes at the level of DNA and amino acids do not impact the function of a molecule and hence the organism’s ability to survive and reproduce. He contended that a small number of mutations are favorable, and natural selection preserves them. Some mutations are rejected because they are harmful, but most mutations don’t really affect the organism. According to
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