"The neutral theory of evolution (Box 1) is the accepted null model for the
evolution of DNA sequences. It postulates that the vast majority of
nucleotide sequence differences observed between species do not affect
function, and that many or most mutations in nucleotide sequence are
deleterious and therefore subject to negative natural selection. Therefore
they never (or only rarely) come to fixation. An alternative possibility,
which might apply at the phenotypic level, is that most differences between
species are adaptive and fixed by positive selection. "
excerpted from http://www.nature.com/nrg/journal/v7/n9/full/nrg1940.html
How to understand the above paragraph from NATURE REVIEW.
Is it correct or wrong?
Does neutral theory assert that majority of mutation are deleterious?
If it does, how to measure if a mutation is 'deleterious' or not?