ðɪ aɪdˈiə ðæt stɹˈɔŋ pˈɑːzᵻtˌɪv sᵻlˈɛkʃən kʊd ɹᵻdˈuːs nˈɪɹbaɪ dʒɪnˈɛɾɪk vˌɛɹɪˈeɪʃən dˈuː tə hˈɪtʃhaɪkɪŋ wʌz pɹəpˈoʊzd baɪ dʒˈɑːn mˈeɪnɑːɹdsmˈɪθ ænd dʒˈɑːn hˈeɪɡ ɪn nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd sˈɛvənti fˈoːɹ.
The idea that strong positive selection could reduce nearby genetic variation due to hitchhiking was proposed by John Maynard-Smith and John Haigh in 1974.