Mutation rate is central to understanding evolution.

The article discusses the central role of mutation rate in understanding evolution, emphasizing that mutation is a fundamental driver of biodiversity. It explores how rates and patterns of mutation are shaped by chance and selection, impacting evolutionary processes at various levels. The text highlights the balancing act between mutation and repair, illustrating how DNA damage, replication errors, and somatic mutations contribute to genetic variation within individuals, populations, and lineages. The relationship between mutation rate and species richness is also examined, suggesting that higher mutation rates may drive diversification in plant families. The article calls for further research to explore the macroevolutionary consequences of differences in mutation rates between species. [Extracted from the article]