Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Related Concept Videos

Distribution and Dispersion

Distribution and Dispersion

Ecology is the study of how organisms interact with their environment and with one another. An important aspect of ecology is understanding where species are found and how individuals are distributed within those areas. The geographic range of a species refers to the total area where its members are located, while dispersion describes the pattern of spacing of individuals within that range.Geographic Range and Dispersion PatternsWithin a species’ geographic range, individuals may be distributed...

Mutation, Gene Flow, and Genetic Drift

Mutation, Gene Flow, and Genetic Drift

In a population that is not at Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium, the frequency of alleles changes over time. Therefore, any deviations from the five conditions of Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium can alter the genetic variation of a given population. Conditions that change the genetic variability of a population include mutations, natural selection, non-random mating, gene flow, and genetic drift (small population size).Mechanisms of Genetic VariationThe original sources of genetic variation are mutations,...

Genetics of Speciation

Genetics of Speciation

Speciation is the evolutionary process resulting in the formation of new, distinct species—groups of reproductively isolated populations.The genetics of speciation involves the different traits or isolating mechanisms preventing gene exchange, leading to reproductive isolation. Reproductive isolation can be due to reproductive barriers that have effects either before or after the formation of a zygote. Pre-zygotic mechanisms prevent fertilization from occurring, and post-zygotic mechanisms...

Genetic Drift

Genetic Drift

Natural selection—probably the most well-known evolutionary mechanism—increases the prevalence of traits that enhance survival and reproduction. However, evolution does not merely propagate favorable traits, nor does it always benefit populations.Life is not fair. A deer grazing contentedly in a field can have her meal cut tragically short by a bolt of lightning. If the doomed doe is one of only three in the population, 1/3 of the population’s gene pool is lost. Random events like this can...

Gene Flow

Gene Flow

Gene flow is the transfer of genes among populations, resulting from either the dispersal of gametes or from the migration of individuals.

Evolutionary Relationships through Genome Comparisons

Evolutionary Relationships through Genome Comparisons

Genome comparison is one of the excellent ways to interpret the evolutionary relationships between organisms. The basic principle of genome comparison is that if two species share a common feature, it is likely encoded by the DNA sequence conserved between both species. The advent of genome sequencing technologies in the late 20th century enabled scientists to understand the concept of conservation of domains between species and helped them to deduce evolutionary relationships across diverse...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by

Same author

Long-Term Demography of Spotted Hyena (<i>Crocuta crocuta</i>) in a Lion-Depleted but Prey-Rich Ecosystem.

Ecology and evolution·2025

Same author

Female elk contacts are neither frequency nor density dependent.

Ecology·2013

Same author

Conserving large populations of lions - the argument for fences has holes.

Ecology letters·2013

Same author

Why cooperate? Game theory and kin selection.

Trends in ecology & evolution·2011

Same author

Conserving wild dogs.

Trends in ecology & evolution·2011

Same author

Aggression, reproduction, and androgens in wild dwarf mongooses: a test of the challenge hypothesis.

The American naturalist·2009

Same journal

Effects of highly pathogenic avian influenza on the behaviour and survival of a colonial breeding seabird.

Proceedings. Biological sciences·2026

Same journal

A special feature highlighting impactful science from countries and regions underrepresented in Proceedings of the Royal Society, Series B.

Proceedings. Biological sciences·2026

Same journal

Religious rituals in the United Kingdom and Brazil are associated with increased social bonding and pain threshold.

Proceedings. Biological sciences·2026

Same journal

Limited evidence that reputation-based partner choice facilitates information sharing in humans.

Proceedings. Biological sciences·2026

Same journal

Phylogenomics resolves the century-old 'Zoraptera problem': Zoraptera as the earliest diverging lineage of Polyneoptera.

Proceedings. Biological sciences·2026

Same journal

Paternal dietary macronutrients affect the seminal vesicle fluid proteome and fetal development: a geometric framework for nutrition study in mice.

Proceedings. Biological sciences·2026

See all related articles

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 30, 2026

Combined Immunofluorescence and DNA FISH on 3D-preserved Interphase Nuclei to Study Changes in 3D Nuclear Organization

Combined Immunofluorescence and DNA FISH on 3D-preserved Interphase Nuclei to Study Changes in 3D Nuclear Organization

Published on: February 3, 2013

Deriving dispersal distances from genetic data.

G Spong¹, S Creel

¹Department of Animal Ecology, Evolutionary Biology Centre, Uppsala University, Norbyvagen 18D, SE-752 36 Uppsala, Sweden. goran.spong@ebc.uu.se

Proceedings. Biological Sciences

|December 26, 2001

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Genetic data reveal average lion dispersal distances. This method estimates movement in species with biased dispersal, offering insights into population structure and conservation.

More Related Videos

Genetic Mapping of Thermotolerance Differences Between Species of Saccharomyces Yeast via Genome-Wide Reciprocal Hemizygosity Analysis

Genetic Mapping of Thermotolerance Differences Between Species of Saccharomyces Yeast via Genome-Wide Reciprocal Hemizygosity Analysis

Published on: August 12, 2019

Heuristic Mining of Hierarchical Genotypes and Accessory Genome Loci in Bacterial Populations

Heuristic Mining of Hierarchical Genotypes and Accessory Genome Loci in Bacterial Populations

Published on: December 7, 2021

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jun 30, 2026

Combined Immunofluorescence and DNA FISH on 3D-preserved Interphase Nuclei to Study Changes in 3D Nuclear Organization

Combined Immunofluorescence and DNA FISH on 3D-preserved Interphase Nuclei to Study Changes in 3D Nuclear Organization

Published on: February 3, 2013

Genetic Mapping of Thermotolerance Differences Between Species of Saccharomyces Yeast via Genome-Wide Reciprocal Hemizygosity Analysis

Genetic Mapping of Thermotolerance Differences Between Species of Saccharomyces Yeast via Genome-Wide Reciprocal Hemizygosity Analysis

Published on: August 12, 2019

Heuristic Mining of Hierarchical Genotypes and Accessory Genome Loci in Bacterial Populations

Heuristic Mining of Hierarchical Genotypes and Accessory Genome Loci in Bacterial Populations

Published on: December 7, 2021

Area of Science:

Ecology
Population Genetics
Conservation Biology

Background:

Dispersal significantly shapes population genetic structure.
Estimating dispersal distances is challenging due to difficulties in observing numerous dispersal events.
Genetic data offer unbiased insights into average dispersal, especially in species with sex-biased dispersal.

Purpose of the Study:

To develop and apply a genetic method for estimating average dispersal distances.
To quantify lion (Panthera leo) dispersal distances using genetic data.
To validate genetic estimates with direct observational data.

Main Methods:

Utilized microsatellite genetic data from lions (Panthera leo).
Plotted genetic similarity of the philopatric sex against distance.
Estimated dispersal distance based on the regression of genetic similarity and distance.

Main Results:

The average dispersal distance for lions was estimated at 1.3 home ranges.
A 95% confidence interval for dispersal distance was calculated as 0.4-3.0 home ranges.
Genetic estimates aligned with direct observations, suggesting minimal bias in detecting long-range dispersal.

Conclusions:

Genetic methods provide a robust way to estimate average dispersal distances.
Lion dispersal patterns are quantifiable using genetic markers.
The findings support the reliability of genetic approaches for dispersal estimation in conservation contexts.