Mutation rates published from 1943 to 2017 in relation to population density.

<p>Colour indicates organism, and shape indicates domain: Archaea (circle), Bacteria (triangle), Eukaryota (square), and viruses/bacteriophage (diamond). Mutation rates were estimated using a wide variety of phenotypic markers (<i>N</i> = 70). The genetic basis and number of mutations giving each phenotype varies and is not known for all markers (i.e., different mutation rates may be generated from the same underlying per base-pair rate). Population densities are estimated by different techniques (cell counts, colony-, or plaque-forming units). See <a href="http://www.plosbiology.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pbio.2002731#sec002" target="_blank">Results</a>, <a href="http://www.plosbiology.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pbio.2002731#sec004" target="_blank">Materials and Methods</a>, and Model S-I in <a href="http://www.plosbiology.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pbio.2002731#pbio.2002731.s016" target="_blank">S1 Text</a> for statistical analysis accounting for these and other differences. Note the logarithmic axes. Raw data is available in <a href="http://www.plosbiology.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pbio.2002731#pbio.2002731.s017" target="_blank">S1 Data</a>.