Summary
It is apparent in the genetic code that amino acids of similar chemical nature have similar codons. I show how through successive codon captures (multiple rounds of Osawa-Jukes type reassignments), complete codon swappings in an unfavorable genetic code are evolutionarily feasible. This mechanisms could have complemented the ambiguity reduction and the vocabulary extension processes of codon-amino acid assignments. Evolution of wobble rules is implied. Transfer RNA molecules and synthetases may still carry memories of it.
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Szathmáry, E. Codon swapping as a possible evolutionary mechanism. J Mol Evol 32, 178–182 (1991). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02515390
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02515390