More than 100 locations were not listed in Figure 1 because the amino acid was the same in all eight species. One possible explanation is that no mutations occurred in the codons for those locations. Suggest another possible explanation.
Well, if it can't be a mutation, perhaps those locations were throwing a secret party that they didn't want to be listed in Figure 1. Maybe they were busy organizing protein dance-offs and didn't want to be disturbed! Who knows, even amino acids need some downtime to let loose and have fun.
Another possible explanation is that the amino acid sequence at those locations is highly conserved across all eight species. This means that the specific sequence of amino acids is vital for the function or structure of the protein, and any changes in those locations would be detrimental to the organism. Thus, natural selection would favor the preservation of the same amino acid sequence in those locations, preventing any mutations from occurring.
Another possible explanation for the absence of listed locations in Figure 1, even though the amino acid was the same in all eight species, could be that these locations are in non-coding regions of the DNA sequence. Non-coding regions do not directly contribute to the production of proteins and are therefore subject to less selective pressure. As a result, they tend to accumulate mutations at a higher rate compared to coding regions. If the locations in question fall within non-coding regions, it is possible that mutations occurred in the codons without affecting the amino acid sequence, leading to the same final amino acid being encoded despite genetic variation.
