  Mutations are typically classified by their effects on the nucleotide
sequence and by their size. Here, we argue that if our main aim is to
understand the effect of mutations on evolutionary outcomes (such as adaptation
or speciation), we need to instead consider their population genetic and
genomic effects, from altering recombination rate to modifying chromatin. We
start by reviewing known population genetic and genomic effects of different
mutation types and connect these to the major evolutionary processes of drift
and selection. We illustrate how mutation type can thus be linked with
evolutionary outcomes and provide suggestions for further exploring and
quantifying these relationships. This reframing lays a foundation for
determining the evolutionary significance of different mutation types.
