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

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...
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,...
Phylogenetic Trees03:21

Phylogenetic Trees

Phylogenetic trees come in many forms. It matters in which sequence the organisms are arranged from the bottom to the top of the tree, but the branches can rotate at their nodes without altering the information. The lines connecting individual nodes can be straight, angled, or even curved.The length of the branches can depict time or the relative amount of change among organisms. For instance, the branch length might indicate the number of amino acid changes in the sequence that underlies the...
Phylogenetic Trees03:21

Phylogenetic Trees

Phylogenetic trees come in many forms. It matters in which sequence the organisms are arranged from the bottom to the top of the tree, but the branches can rotate at their nodes without altering the information. The lines connecting individual nodes can be straight, angled, or even curved.The length of the branches can depict time or the relative amount of change among organisms. For instance, the branch length might indicate the number of amino acid changes in the sequence that underlies the...
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...
Speciation Rates01:07

Speciation Rates

Speciation can proceed at markedly different rates, and evolutionary biologists commonly describe these differences through the models of gradualism and punctuated equilibrium. Both patterns explain how new species arise, but they differ in the tempo and continuity of evolutionary change. In both cases, evolutionary change arises from heritable variation within populations, with natural selection often shaping traits that improve survival and reproduction under specific environmental conditions.

You might also read

Related Articles

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

Sort by
Same author

Host and Environmental Drivers of Gut Microbiome Variation in Wild Anolis Lizards.

Molecular ecology·2026
Same author

Ecological overlap and divergence in natural and urbanized habitats in two species of sympatric anoles.

Journal of thermal biology·2026
Same author

Plasticity and regional heterothermy of upper thermal tolerance in the ring-necked snake.

Journal of thermal biology·2025
Same author

Higher parasite load is associated with lower heat tolerance in a tropical lizard.

The Journal of experimental biology·2025
Same author

Beating the Heat: A Lowland Tropical Lizard Expresses Heat Shock Protein Networks in Response to Acute Thermal Stress.

Integrative and comparative biology·2025
Same author

The genetic basis of a colorful signal: the polymorphic dewlap of the slender anole (Anolis apletophallus).

Heredity·2025
Same journal

Pangenome analysis of Nocardia brasiliensis reveals phylogenetic divergence, high genomic diversity and widespread distribution of biosynthetic gene clusters involved in secondary metabolite biosynthesis.

Molecular phylogenetics and evolution·2026
Same journal

Adaptive introgression facilitates tropical plant evolution: Pandanus as a case study.

Molecular phylogenetics and evolution·2026
Same journal

Molecular phylogenetics of Andean killifish genus Orestias (Cyprinodontiformes: Orestiidae) with emphasis on the O. agassii species complex, a widespread Andean clade.

Molecular phylogenetics and evolution·2026
Same journal

Resolving fuzzy species limits: nuclear evidence for speciation by hybridisation in Amazonian Trichomanes ferns.

Molecular phylogenetics and evolution·2026
Same journal

Phylogenomic assessment of microhylid frogs reveals widespread taxonomic confusion in the Asterophryinae and establishes the timing of diversification in Australia.

Molecular phylogenetics and evolution·2026
Same journal

Phylogenomics, introgression, and demographic history of extant flamingos (Aves: Phoenicopteridae).

Molecular phylogenetics and evolution·2026
See all related articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 13, 2026

Using Phylogenetic Analysis to Investigate Eukaryotic Gene Origin
08:57

Using Phylogenetic Analysis to Investigate Eukaryotic Gene Origin

Published on: August 14, 2018

Analyzing the relationship between sequence divergence and nodal support using Bayesian phylogenetic analyses.

Robert Makowsky1, Christian L Cox, Corey Roelke

  • 1University of Texas at Arlington, Department of Biology, Box 19498, Arlington, TX 76019, USA. makowsky@uab.edu

Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution
|May 18, 2010
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Choosing the right gene for phylogenetic reconstruction is key. We found an optimal range of genetic sequence divergence exists for accurate Bayesian phylogenetic analyses, aiding gene selection.

More Related Videos

A Practical Guide to Phylogenetics for Nonexperts
12:00

A Practical Guide to Phylogenetics for Nonexperts

Published on: February 5, 2014

Creating and Applying a Reference to Facilitate the Discussion and Classification of Proteins in a Diverse Group
07:49

Creating and Applying a Reference to Facilitate the Discussion and Classification of Proteins in a Diverse Group

Published on: August 16, 2017

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jun 13, 2026

Using Phylogenetic Analysis to Investigate Eukaryotic Gene Origin
08:57

Using Phylogenetic Analysis to Investigate Eukaryotic Gene Origin

Published on: August 14, 2018

A Practical Guide to Phylogenetics for Nonexperts
12:00

A Practical Guide to Phylogenetics for Nonexperts

Published on: February 5, 2014

Creating and Applying a Reference to Facilitate the Discussion and Classification of Proteins in a Diverse Group
07:49

Creating and Applying a Reference to Facilitate the Discussion and Classification of Proteins in a Diverse Group

Published on: August 16, 2017

Area of Science:

  • Evolutionary Biology
  • Genomics
  • Bioinformatics

Background:

  • Selecting appropriate genes for phylogenetic reconstruction is challenging due to trade-offs between evolutionary rates and phylogenetic signal.
  • Rapidly evolving genes can resolve recent relationships but introduce homoplasy, while slowly evolving genes are better for deep relationships but lack resolution for recent ones.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the relationship between sequence divergence and the ability of Bayesian phylogenetic reconstruction.
  • To identify an optimal range of genetic divergence for accurate phylogenetic inference.
  • To provide guidance for selecting informative genes in phylogenetic studies.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized both natural (28 vertebrate relationships) and simulated datasets.
  • Acquired sequences for 12 genes and performed Bayesian phylogenetic analyses.
  • Designed simulations to test optimal divergence across diverse evolutionary models and topologies.

Main Results:

  • An optimal range of sequence divergence was identified for resolving correct phylogenetic relationships across various genes.
  • The optimal divergence level is dependent on the chosen distance metric.
  • Genetic distance, a measurable property of genetic sequences, correlates with phylogenetic reconstruction ability in Bayesian analyses.

Conclusions:

  • An optimal range of genetic divergence exists for effective Bayesian phylogenetic reconstruction.
  • Genetic distance can serve as a predictor for selecting informative genes.
  • This finding can help minimize costs and confounding factors in phylogenetic project design, especially for difficult-to-resolve relationships.