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A mutation whose fixation is independent of natural selection is termed a neutral mutation. Therefore selective neutrality of a mutation can be defined by independence of its fixation from natural selection. By the population genetic approach, Kimura [Kimura, M.Jun 20, 2000

The neutral theory holds that most variation at the molecular level does not affect fitness and, therefore, the evolutionary fate of genetic variation is best explained by stochastic processes.

The neutral theory of molecular evolution suggests that most of the genetic variation in populations is the result of mutation and genetic drift and not selection. ... That ALL genetic variation is neutral. That natural selection is unimportant in shaping genomes.

One of the original shortcomings was that neutral theory could not explain the varying patterns of genome evolution observed among species with different population sizes. For instance, species with smaller population sizes have on average more mutations that are deleterious.Nov 8, 2018

So eventually it boils down to whether the neutral theory should officially be pronounced utterly dead or if it still has its place as formulated by Kreitman more than two decades ago (Kreitman 1996): “It is my thesis that the neutral theory (and noncoding variation) will continue to play a leading role in this quest ...May 31, 2018

These mutations are called neutral mutations. Examples include silent point mutations, which are neutral because they do not change the amino acids in the proteins they encode. Many other mutations have no effects on the organism because they are repaired before protein synthesis occurs.

Directional selection occurs when individuals with traits on one side of the mean in their population survive better or reproduce more than those on the other. It has been demonstrated many times in natural populations, using both observational and experimental approaches.Jan 13, 2014

Definition. Neutral mutations are changes in DNA sequence that are neither beneficial nor detrimental to the ability of an organism to survive and reproduce. In population genetics, mutations in which natural selection does not affect the spread of the mutation in a species are termed neutral mutations.

In colloquial use neutral can be synonymous with unbiased. ... Apathy and indifference each imply a level of carelessness about a subject, though a person exhibiting neutrality may feel bias on a subject but choose not to act on it. A neutral person can also be well-informed on a subject and therefore need not be ignorant.