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

Speciation Rates01:07

Speciation Rates

Overview
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.
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.
Hybrid Zones02:29

Hybrid Zones

Hybrid zones are narrow regions where two closely related species interact, mate, and produce hybrids. Relative to either parent species, hybrids may possess distinct phenotypic or genetic differences that impact their survival and reproductive success. The genetic variances introduced by hybridization influence species diversity and speciation processes within the hybrid zone.
What is a Species?01:17

What is a Species?

Overview
The Evidence for Evolution02:55

The Evidence for Evolution

Genetic variations accumulating within populations over generations give rise to biological evolution. Evolutionary changes can result in the formation of novel varieties and entire new species. These changes are responsible for the diverse forms of life inhabiting the planet. The evidence for evolution suggests that all living organisms descended from common ancestors.

You might also read

Related Articles

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

Sort by
Same author

[Transdisciplinary Expert Statement: care guide for people severely affected by ME/CFS in home-based care].

Wiener medizinische Wochenschrift (1946)·2026
Same author

<i>Acropora millepora</i> 's microbiome is predicted by algal symbionts, host genetics, and environment.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2025
Same author

Evolving life-history traits promote biodiversity via eco-evolutionary feedback mechanisms.

PLoS biology·2025
Same author

Drivers of diversity within and between microbial communities during stochastic assembly.

Journal of the Royal Society, Interface·2025
Same author

No evidence for sex-differential transcriptomes driving genome-wide sex-differential natural selection.

American journal of human genetics·2025
Same author

Two decades of bacterial ecology and evolution in a freshwater lake.

Nature microbiology·2025
Same journal

The role of microbial resource mutualists in plant adaptation to abiotic environments.

Evolution; international journal of organic evolution·2026
Same journal

Museum genomics links MC1R alleles to adaptive winter coat color polymorphism in the long-tailed weasel.

Evolution; international journal of organic evolution·2026
Same journal

Repeated evolution of iridescence and hindwing tails is associated with morphometric flight proxies in skipper butterflies.

Evolution; international journal of organic evolution·2026
Same journal

Temperature-dependent competition predicts contrasting outcomes of adjacent secondary contact zones in darters (Percidae:Etheostoma).

Evolution; international journal of organic evolution·2026
Same journal

Sex allocation of hermaphrodites in metapopulations with frequent population extinction and recolonization.

Evolution; international journal of organic evolution·2026
Same journal

The phylogenetic signal of extinction through the rise and fall of early vertebrates: field of bullets or clustered strike?

Evolution; international journal of organic evolution·2026
See all related articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 26, 2026

Preparation of Meiotic Chromosome Spreads from Zebrafish Spermatocytes
08:46

Preparation of Meiotic Chromosome Spreads from Zebrafish Spermatocytes

Published on: March 3, 2020

Can reinforcement complete speciation?

Claudia Bank1, Joachim Hermisson, Mark Kirkpatrick

  • 1Institut für Populationsgenetik, Vetmeduni Vienna, Vienna, Austria. claudia.bank@vetmeduni.ac.at

Evolution; International Journal of Organic Evolution
|January 7, 2012
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Reinforcement rarely leads to complete reproductive isolation because selection weakens as hybridization decreases. Large-effect mutations promoting mate choice, however, can drive reinforcement effectively.

More Related Videos

Determination of the Mating Efficiency of Haploids in Saccharomyces cerevisiae
05:39

Determination of the Mating Efficiency of Haploids in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Published on: December 2, 2022

Microinjection for Transgenesis and Genome Editing in Threespine Sticklebacks
08:51

Microinjection for Transgenesis and Genome Editing in Threespine Sticklebacks

Published on: May 13, 2016

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: May 26, 2026

Preparation of Meiotic Chromosome Spreads from Zebrafish Spermatocytes
08:46

Preparation of Meiotic Chromosome Spreads from Zebrafish Spermatocytes

Published on: March 3, 2020

Determination of the Mating Efficiency of Haploids in Saccharomyces cerevisiae
05:39

Determination of the Mating Efficiency of Haploids in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Published on: December 2, 2022

Microinjection for Transgenesis and Genome Editing in Threespine Sticklebacks
08:51

Microinjection for Transgenesis and Genome Editing in Threespine Sticklebacks

Published on: May 13, 2016

Area of Science:

  • Evolutionary biology
  • Population genetics
  • Speciation

Background:

  • Hybridization is common in nature, even between distinct species.
  • The incomplete success of reinforcement raises questions about the evolution of reproductive isolation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate why reinforcement is not always successful in achieving complete reproductive isolation.
  • To derive analytic results for the evolution of mate discrimination modifiers.

Main Methods:

  • Development of a novel quasi-linkage disequilibrium (QLD) approximation.
  • Analysis of modifier evolution under one-allele and two-allele mechanisms.
  • Examination of selection strength based on modifier effect size and hybrid frequency.

Main Results:

  • Small-effect modifiers evolve more readily under a one-allele mechanism.
  • Selection on modifiers weakens as hybrid frequency decreases, potentially halting reinforcement.
  • Large-effect modifiers, especially those causing complete isolation, can spread under general conditions via a two-allele mechanism.

Conclusions:

  • The success of reinforcement in achieving complete reproductive isolation may depend on the magnitude of mutations affecting mate choice systems.
  • Understanding the role of mutation effect size is crucial for predicting speciation outcomes.