Welcome to the fray Darwinist,
I was under the impression that a lot of evolutionists believe that only advantageous mutations fuel evolution?
Mayr argues that neutral mutations are not evolution because they are not subject to selection.
This is true to a point, however, because what neutral mutations due is provide a variety of platforms for later mutations to form that are beneficial.
Can't find the source right now, but in one study on e.coli, over some 20 or 40 years, IIRC, starting from a single parent, with generations divided and some preserved for later analysis, they ended up with a beneficial mutation that was enabled by a prior neutral mutation: those without the neutral mutation did not evolve the beneficial one, those with did.
This is logical: neutral mutations provide variety within the gene pool, and it is variety that is important when confronting new and different ecological challenges, to provide an opportunity to take advantage of the new or different systems.
Enjoy.
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