Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Related Concept Videos

Gene Evolution - Fast or Slow?

Gene Evolution - Fast or Slow?

The genomes of eukaryotes are punctuated by long stretches of sequence which do not code for proteins or RNAs. Although some of these regions do contain crucial regulatory sequences, the vast majority of this DNA serves no known function. Typically, these regions of the genome are the ones in which the fastest change, in evolutionary terms, is observed, because there is typically little to no selection pressure acting on these regions to preserve their sequences.
In contrast, regions which code...

Gene Evolution - Fast or Slow?

Gene Evolution - Fast or Slow?

Evolutionary Relationships through Genome Comparisons

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...

Genome Size and the Evolution of New Genes

Genome Size and the Evolution of New Genes

Genome Size and the Evolution of New Genes

Genome Size and the Evolution of New Genes

While every living organism has a genome of some kind (be it RNA, or DNA), there is considerable variation in the sizes of these blueprints. One major factor that impacts genome size is whether the organism is prokaryotic or eukaryotic. In prokaryotes, the genome contains little to no non-coding sequence, such that genes are tightly clustered in groups or operons sequentially along the chromosome. Conversely, the genes in eukaryotes are punctuated by long stretches of non-coding sequence.

Genomics

Genomics

Genomics is the science of genomes: it is the study of all the genetic material of an organism. In humans, the genome consists of information carried in 23 pairs of chromosomes in the nucleus, as well as mitochondrial DNA. In genomics, both coding and non-coding DNA is sequenced and analyzed. Genomics allows a better understanding of all living things, their evolution, and their diversity. It has a myriad of uses: for example, to build phylogenetic trees, to improve productivity and...

You might also read

Related Articles

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

Sort by

Same author

Integrative systematics reveal the deep evolutionary origin and familial placements of the wirrahs (Teleostei: Acanthistiidae: Acanthistius) and the toadstool grouper (Teleostei: Trachypomatidae fam. nov.: Trachypoma).

Molecular phylogenetics and evolution·2026

Same author

Large-scale genomic surveillance reveals immunosuppression drives mutation dynamics in persistent SARS-CoV-2 infections.

Nature communications·2026

Same author

Uncovering thousands of endosymbiont DNA transfer events within single cockroach genomes.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·2026

Same author

Mutation rate estimate and population genomic analysis reveals decline of koalas prior to human arrival.

Molecular biology and evolution·2026

Same author

Evolutionary Prevalence of the Electrostatic Switch Mechanism in P-type ATPases.

The Journal of membrane biology·2026

Same author

Global approaches to infectious disease surveillance and modeling.

Nature medicine·2026

Same journal

Genomic evidence for natural selection underlying high-altitude adaptive hemoglobin levels among Peruvian Andeans.

Genome biology and evolution·2026

Same journal

Host Range Breadth Correlates with Genic Diversity in Honeybee Phages.

Genome biology and evolution·2026

Same journal

Genome-wide analysis of an endangered axolotl endemic to Mexico reveals genomic variation associated with body condition, environment and infection by a pathogenic fungus.

Genome biology and evolution·2026

Same journal

Conservation of IAMT preference for indole acetic acid methylation across 250 million years of seed plant divergence, with only one recent evolutionary switch in Ocimum.

Genome biology and evolution·2026

Same journal

Regulatory logic and transposable element dynamics in Caenorhabditis genomes.

Genome biology and evolution·2026

Same journal

Interchromosomal translocations and large deletions drive the evolution of the outlier chromosome in the smallest photosynthetic eukaryote.

Genome biology and evolution·2026

See all related articles

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Mar 15, 2026

Following the Dynamics of Structural Variants in Experimentally Evolved Populations

Following the Dynamics of Structural Variants in Experimentally Evolved Populations

Published on: February 3, 2023

The Genome as an Evolutionary Timepiece.

Simon Y W Ho¹, Amanda X Y Chen², Luana S F Lins²

¹School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia simon.ho@sydney.edu.au.

Genome Biology and Evolution

|September 9, 2016

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Molecular clocks estimate evolutionary rates using genetic data. Beyond DNA, exploring microsatellites and protein folds offers new insights for molecular dating, enhancing evolutionary timescale estimations.

Keywords:

evolutionary rate genomic data molecular clock molecular dating phylogenetic analysis

More Related Videos

Using Phylogenetic Analysis to Investigate Eukaryotic Gene Origin

Using Phylogenetic Analysis to Investigate Eukaryotic Gene Origin

Published on: August 14, 2018

Microbial Communities in Nature and Laboratory - Interview

Microbial Communities in Nature and Laboratory - Interview

Published on: May 28, 2007

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Mar 15, 2026

Following the Dynamics of Structural Variants in Experimentally Evolved Populations

Following the Dynamics of Structural Variants in Experimentally Evolved Populations

Published on: February 3, 2023

Using Phylogenetic Analysis to Investigate Eukaryotic Gene Origin

Using Phylogenetic Analysis to Investigate Eukaryotic Gene Origin

Published on: August 14, 2018

Microbial Communities in Nature and Laboratory - Interview

Microbial Communities in Nature and Laboratory - Interview

Published on: May 28, 2007

Area of Science:

Evolutionary Biology
Genetics
Bioinformatics

Background:

The molecular clock is a foundational tool in evolutionary biology for dating divergence events.
Historically focused on protein and DNA sequences, its application has evolved significantly over five decades.
Current methods predominantly utilize DNA sequence data for molecular dating.

Purpose of the Study:

To review diverse genetic data types applicable to molecular dating beyond traditional sequences.
To outline the characteristics of effective molecular clock markers.
To highlight the potential of underutilized genomic features for evolutionary timescale estimation.

Main Methods:

Literature review of molecular clock methodologies.
Categorization of genetic data types used in molecular dating (DNA, proteins, microsatellites, protein folds, recombination rates).
Discussion of criteria for selecting reliable molecular clock data.

Main Results:

Identified microsatellites, protein folds, and recombination extent as viable, yet underappreciated, data sources for molecular dating.
Demonstrated that non-sequence genetic data can be informative when nucleotide sequences are unreliable.
Provided a framework for evaluating the suitability of different genetic markers for molecular clock analyses.

Conclusions:

Molecular dating can leverage a broader range of genetic data than commonly assumed.
Exploring diverse genomic features can improve the accuracy and applicability of evolutionary timescale estimations.
Further research into novel molecular clock data types is encouraged to advance evolutionary studies.