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 Concept Videos

Pollination and Flower Structure02:40

Pollination and Flower Structure

Flowers are the reproductive, seed-producing structures of angiosperms. Typically, flowers consist of sepals, petals, stamens, and carpels. Sepals and petals are the vegetative flower organs. Stamens and carpels are the reproductive organs.
Evolutionary Relationships through Genome Comparisons02:54

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...
Genetics of Speciation02:16

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...
Phylogeny01:23

Phylogeny

Phylogeny is concerned with the evolutionary diversification of organisms or groups of organisms. A group of organisms with a name is called a taxon (singular). Taxa (plural) can span different levels of the evolutionary hierarchy. For instance, the group containing all birds is a taxon (comprising the class Aves), and the group of all species of daisies (the genus Bellis) is a taxon. Phylogenies can likewise include just one genus (i.e., depict species relationships) or span an entire...
Microbial Phylogeny01:28

Microbial Phylogeny

Understanding the evolutionary relationships among microorganisms is fundamental to microbial ecology and taxonomy. Phylogenetic trees are essential tools for inferring these relationships, relying primarily on comparative analyses of molecular sequences such as DNA, RNA, or proteins. In microbial studies, these trees typically depict the evolutionary paths of diverse bacterial and archaeal species by mapping genetic differences accumulated over time.Phylogenetic trees are composed of tips,...
Formation of Species01:31

Formation of Species

Speciation describes the formation of one or more new species from one or sometimes multiple original species. The resulting species are discrete from the parent species, and barriers to reproduction will typically exist. There are two primary mechanisms, speciation with and without geographic isolation—allopatric and sympatric speciation, respectively.Allopatric SpeciationIn allopatric speciation, gene flow between two populations of the same species is prevented by a geographic barrier, like...

You might also read

Related Articles

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

Sort by
Same author

Socioeconomic deprivation and clinical outcomes in patients receiving peritoneal dialysis: A 10-year propensity score matched cohort study from the United Kingdom.

Peritoneal dialysis international : journal of the International Society for Peritoneal Dialysis·2026
Same author

Region-dependent differences in tonic inhibition underlie epileptic features in Angelman syndrome model mice.

Epilepsia·2026
Same author

First Total Synthesis of the Unnatural (+)-Talcarpine and (-)‑<i>N</i> <sub>4</sub>‑Methyl,<i>N</i> <sub>4</sub>‑21-<i>seco</i>talpinine.

ACS omega·2026
Same author

Prevention of microglial activation and postoperative cognitive deficits by positive allosteric modulation of α5-GABA<sub>A</sub> receptors.

British journal of pharmacology·2026
Same author

Influences of subtle NMDA receptor blockade and allosteric modulation of α5 GABAA receptors on reward-related impulsivity in rats.

Psychopharmacology·2026
Same author

Australian stingless bees exhibit greater sensitivity to dimethoate than Apis mellifera: implications for pesticide risk assessment.

Pesticide biochemistry and physiology·2026

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 19, 2026

A Concoction Pipeline for Generating Molecular Operational Taxonomic Units (MOTUs) Among Riparian and Aquatic Beetles
10:23

A Concoction Pipeline for Generating Molecular Operational Taxonomic Units (MOTUs) Among Riparian and Aquatic Beetles

Published on: July 11, 2025

Deep mtDNA divergences indicate cryptic species in a fig-pollinating wasp.

Eleanor R Haine1, Joanne Martin, James M Cook

  • 1Division of Biology, Imperial College London, Silwood Park Campus, Ascot, Berkshire SL5 7PY, UK. e.haine@sheffield.ac.uk

BMC Evolutionary Biology
|October 17, 2006
PubMed
Summary

Cryptic fig wasp species have evolved on a single host plant, demonstrating speciation independent of host plant shifts. This challenges the assumption of strict co-speciation in the fig-wasp mutualism.

More Related Videos

Induction and Evaluation of Inbreeding Crosses Using the Ant, Vollenhovia Emeryi
06:44

Induction and Evaluation of Inbreeding Crosses Using the Ant, Vollenhovia Emeryi

Published on: October 5, 2018

Field Experiments of Pollination Ecology: The Case of Lycoris sanguinea var. sanguinea
07:19

Field Experiments of Pollination Ecology: The Case of Lycoris sanguinea var. sanguinea

Published on: November 25, 2016

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jul 19, 2026

A Concoction Pipeline for Generating Molecular Operational Taxonomic Units (MOTUs) Among Riparian and Aquatic Beetles
10:23

A Concoction Pipeline for Generating Molecular Operational Taxonomic Units (MOTUs) Among Riparian and Aquatic Beetles

Published on: July 11, 2025

Induction and Evaluation of Inbreeding Crosses Using the Ant, Vollenhovia Emeryi
06:44

Induction and Evaluation of Inbreeding Crosses Using the Ant, Vollenhovia Emeryi

Published on: October 5, 2018

Field Experiments of Pollination Ecology: The Case of Lycoris sanguinea var. sanguinea
07:19

Field Experiments of Pollination Ecology: The Case of Lycoris sanguinea var. sanguinea

Published on: November 25, 2016

Area of Science:

  • Evolutionary Biology
  • Insect Ecology
  • Speciation Research

Background:

  • Figs and their pollinating wasps exhibit a 90-million-year-old obligate mutualism with extensive co-diversification.
  • While figs and wasps have radiated together, wasp speciation often exceeds fig speciation, particularly when multiple wasp species inhabit a single fig species.
  • The mechanisms driving fig wasp speciation remain largely unknown.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the speciation processes in fig-pollinating wasps, specifically within the *Pleistodontes imperialis* complex.
  • To determine if fig wasp speciation is linked to host plant shifts or independent divergence.
  • To explore the genetic diversity and population structure of *Pleistodontes imperialis* across its geographic range.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) variation in 71 *Pleistodontes imperialis* wasps sampled across Australia.
  • Sequencing of two nuclear genes to assess phylogenetic relationships.
  • Investigation of Wolbachia bacterial infections within different wasp clades.

Main Results:

  • Four deep mtDNA clades were identified within the morphologically defined *P. imperialis* species, with genetic distances suggesting cryptic speciation.
  • mtDNA diversity decreased geographically, but multiple clades coexisted at most sites, including within the same fig tree or fruit.
  • Genetic data supported the monophyly of the *P. imperialis* complex, indicating divergence occurred without host plant shifts. Different Wolbachia infection patterns were observed across clades.
  • No evidence of parallel subdivision in the host fig species (*Ficus rubiginosa*) was found.

Conclusions:

  • Cryptic fig wasp species have evolved on a single host plant species (*Ficus rubiginosa*) without host shifts or parallel host plant divergence.
  • Wasp speciation can occur independently of fig speciation, challenging the notion of strictly linked co-evolutionary trajectories.
  • This study highlights the complexity of speciation in obligate mutualisms and suggests that cryptic diversity is a significant factor in fig wasp evolution.