What does an increase in mutations over time indicate about species relationships?

An increase in mutations over time can suggest that species are more distantly related. As species evolve and diverge from a common ancestor, they accumulate genetic mutations. The more time passes since their last common ancestor, the more mutations can accumulate independently in each lineage. Therefore, a higher mutation rate, observed in species that diverged longer ago, typically implies that the genetic differences have grown, indicating a more distant relationship. Consequently, two species with a significant number of genetic differences due to accumulated mutations are likely to be more distantly related compared to those that share a more recent common ancestor, which would exhibit fewer mutations due to a shorter time frame for divergence.