The common ancestor at a non-neutral locus.

Fearnhead, Paul (2002) The common ancestor at a non-neutral locus. Journal of Applied Probability, 39 (1). pp. 38-54.

Abstract

We consider a nonneutral population genetics model with parent-independent mutations and two selective classes. We calculate the stationary distribution of the type of the common ancestor of a sample of genes from this model. The expected fitness of any ancestor (including the most recent common ancestor of any sample) is shown to be greater than the expected fitness of a randomly chosen gene from the population. The process of mutations to the common ancestor is also analysed. Our results are related to, but more general than, results obtained from diffusion theory.