Muller's Ratchet and Mutational Meltdowns

We extend our earlier work on the role of deleterious mutations in the extinction of obligately asexual populations.First, we develop analytical models for mutation accumulation that obviate the need for time-consuming computer simulations in certain ranges of the parameter space.When the number of mutations entering the population each generation is fairly high, the number ofmutations per individual and the mean time to extinction can be predicted using classical approaches in quantitative genetics.However, when the mutation rate is very low, a fixationprobability approach is quite effective.Second, we show that an intermediate selection coefficient (s) minimizes the time to extinction.The critical value of s can be quite low, and we discuss the evolutionary implications ofthis, showing that increased sensitivity to mutation and loss ofcapacity for DNA repair can be selectively advantageous in asexual organisms.Finally, we consider the consequences of the mutational meltdown for the extinction of mitochondrial lineages in sexual species.