Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

Estimation of genetically effective breeding numbers using a rejection algorithm approach.

Uma Ramakrishnan1, Jay F Storz, Barbara L Taylor

  • 10116, Department of Biology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA. uramakri@stanford.edu

Molecular Ecology
|October 19, 2004
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

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

Sort by
Same author

Origins of allostery in vertebrate hemoglobin evolution.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2026
Same author

Species-specific assessment of climate change vulnerability in Himalayan Pikas and identification of at-risk elevational and latitudinal zones.

Scientific reports·2026
Same author

Non-Invasive Sampling of Odours from Tiger (Panthera tigris) and Leopard (Panthera pardus) for Wildlife Conservation.

Journal of chemical ecology·2026
Same author

A Deep Dive into the Globin Superfamily of Sharks, Skates, and Rays: Contrasting Patterns of Gene Loss and Retention Relative to Bony Vertebrates.

Genome biology and evolution·2026
Same author

EMBO Press co-evolves with molecular ecology and evolutionary biology.

The EMBO journal·2026
Same author

Elevational variation in heart mass and suppression of hypoxia-induced right ventricle hypertrophy in Andean leaf-eared mice (Phyllotis).

The Journal of physiology·2026
Same journal

Demography and Environment Shapes Genetic Variation: Spatiotemporal Genetic Dynamics in Cyclic Voles at Low Latitudes.

Molecular ecology·2026
Same journal

Gut Microbiome-Metabolome Reconfiguration Associates With Phenotypic Plasticity of Daphnia Under Predation Risk.

Molecular ecology·2026
Same journal

Population Genomics Highlight the Vulnerability of Coral-Dwelling Gobies to Ecological Losses due to Climatic Disturbances.

Molecular ecology·2026
Same journal

Ancient Divergences of the Maritime Alpine Tree Larix lyallii (Pinaceae) Contrasts With Patterns in Other Pacific Northwest Coastal Disjuncts.

Molecular ecology·2026
Same journal

Ontogenetic Sequence of Differential Gene Expression in Predator-Induced Daphnia pulex.

Molecular ecology·2026
Same journal

Disentangling Environmental and Within-Host Drivers of Parasite Dynamics in Natural Populations.

Molecular ecology·2026
See all related articles

This study introduces a new method to estimate the effective number of breeding males (Nebm) using genetic data. The approach accurately infers mating systems in polygynous populations, even with limited candidate male information.

Area of Science:

  • Population Genetics
  • Behavioral Ecology
  • Conservation Genetics

Background:

  • Polygynous mating systems lead to nonrandom gene pool sampling and increased genetic drift.
  • Estimating the effective number of breeding males (Nebm) is crucial for understanding mating systems and population dynamics.
  • Traditional genetic paternity analysis requires exhaustive sampling of candidate males, which is often impractical.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To develop and validate a novel method for estimating Nebm without requiring exhaustive sampling of candidate males.
  • To assess the accuracy and reliability of the proposed method across various demographic scenarios.
  • To enable more robust inferences about mating systems using genetic data.

Main Methods:

  • A rejection algorithm was developed, utilizing three genetic statistics: Euclidean distance between allele frequency distributions, average number of paternally inherited alleles, and average gene diversity of paternally inherited alleles.

Related Experiment Videos

  • An individual-based simulation model was employed to quantify the relationship between these statistics and Nebm under varying mating systems (random to extreme polygyny).
  • The method was validated using genetic data from a natural population of fruit bats (Cynopterus sphinx) and compared with direct paternity analysis.

    • Main Results:

    • The new method provided Nebm estimates highly consistent with those from direct paternity analysis in a polygynous fruit bat population.
    • The simulation model demonstrated that the rejection algorithm yields accurate Nebm estimates across a wide range of demographic conditions.
    • The method's accuracy is robust, except in scenarios with very high true Nebm.

    Conclusions:

    • The developed rejection algorithm offers a powerful and practical approach to estimate Nebm, overcoming limitations of traditional methods.
    • This method facilitates more accurate inferences about mating systems and population genetic structure, particularly in highly polygynous species.
    • The approach allows for the evaluation of uncertainty in Nebm estimates, enhancing its utility in ecological and evolutionary research.