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

Testing neutrality in subdivided populations.

M Slatkin1

  • 1Department of Zoology, NJ-15, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195.

Genetics
|March 1, 1982
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

Fisher's fundamental theorem of natural selection.

Trends in ecology & evolution·2011
Same author

Finding confidence limits on population growth rates.

Trends in ecology & evolution·2011
Same author

Time for DNA disclosure.

Science (New York, N.Y.)·2009
Same author

Estimating allele age.

Annual review of genomics and human genetics·2001
Same author

Simulating genealogies of selected alleles in a population of variable size.

Genetical research·2001
Same author

The use of intraallelic variability for testing neutrality and estimating population growth rate.

Genetics·2001
Same journal

Inherited long telomeres induce a genome-wide transcriptional response in budding yeast.

Genetics·2026
Same journal

Adaptive Dynamics of Quantitative Traits in a Steadily Changing Environment.

Genetics·2026
Same journal

Functional Landscape of Zebrafish Gonadotropins and Receptors: A Comprehensive Genetic Analysis.

Genetics·2026
Same journal

Synergistic actions of Nup43 and Myosin VI drive actin cone assembly during Drosophila spermiogenesis.

Genetics·2026
Same journal

Identification of two Cryptococcus neoformans heme transporters involved in Fhb1-mediated nitrosative stress protection in a fission yeast model.

Genetics·2026
Same journal

Analysis of a hypomorphic mei-P26 mutation reveals coordination between developmental programming of germ cells and meiotic chromosome dynamics.

Genetics·2026
See all related articles

This study proposes applying Ewens

Area of Science:

  • Population Genetics
  • Evolutionary Biology
  • Statistical Genetics

Background:

  • Statistical tests for the neutrality hypothesis, such as Ewens' sampling theory, traditionally assume panmixia (random mating within a population).
  • Real-world populations often exhibit structure, consisting of numerous local populations with limited gene flow between them.
  • This subdivision can violate the assumptions of standard neutrality tests, potentially leading to inaccurate conclusions about evolutionary processes.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To propose a method for applying statistical tests of the neutrality hypothesis to structured populations with weak gene flow.
  • To investigate the statistical independence of tests applied to samples from individual local populations (demes).
  • To assess the potential for increased statistical power by combining results from multiple demes.

Related Experiment Videos

Main Methods:

  • Simulations were used to evaluate the statistical properties of applying Ewens' neutrality tests to subpopulations.
  • The study analyzed the correlations in allele frequencies among demes under low levels of gene flow.
  • A method for combining test results from different demes was developed and applied.

Main Results:

  • At low levels of gene flow, migration between demes acts similarly to mutation, introducing new alleles.
  • Correlations in allele frequencies among demes were found to be sufficiently small at low migration rates, allowing for statistically independent application of Ewens' tests within each deme.
  • Combining results from multiple demes increased the statistical power to detect deviations from neutrality.

Conclusions:

  • Population subdivision must be considered when testing the neutrality hypothesis, especially at low gene flow.
  • The proposed method of applying and combining Ewens' tests across demes provides a statistically sound approach for analyzing structured populations.
  • This approach enhances the ability to detect deviations from neutrality in subdivided populations, as demonstrated with salamander species data.