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

Speciation Rates

Speciation Rates

Genetics of Speciation

Genetics of Speciation

Speciation is the evolutionary process resulting in the formation of new, distinct species—groups of reproductively isolated populations.

Formation of Species

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.

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...

You might also read

Related Articles

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

Sort by

Same author

Population genomic structure of a widespread, urban-dwelling mammal: The eastern grey squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis).

Molecular ecology·2023

Same author

Naming the menagerie: creativity, culture and consequences in the formation of scientific names.

Proceedings. Biological sciences·2023

Same author

Can species naming drive scientific attention? A perspective from plant-feeding arthropods.

Proceedings. Biological sciences·2023

Same author

Global urban environmental change drives adaptation in white clover.

Science (New York, N.Y.)·2022

Same author

Site-selection bias and apparent population declines in long-term studies.

Conservation biology : the journal of the Society for Conservation Biology·2019

Same author

Impact of an Invasive Longhorned Beetle, Tetropium fuscum (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae), on Community Structure of Subcortical and Wood-Associated Insects in Eastern Canada.

Environmental entomology·2018

Same journal

Superorganismal Anisogamy: A Comparative Test of an Extended Theory.

Evolution; international journal of organic evolution·2026

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

See all related articles

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Mar 1, 2026

Using Phylogenetic Analysis to Investigate Eukaryotic Gene Origin

Using Phylogenetic Analysis to Investigate Eukaryotic Gene Origin

Published on: August 14, 2018

PATTERNS IN PHYLOGENETIC TREE BALANCE WITH VARIABLE AND EVOLVING SPECIATION RATES.

Stephen B Heard¹

¹Department of Biological Sciences, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, 52242.

Evolution; International Journal of Organic Evolution

|June 1, 2017

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Phylogenetic tree balance offers insights into macroevolution. Simulations show that heritable or variable speciation rates lead to imbalanced evolutionary trees, with imbalance increasing alongside rate variation magnitude.

Keywords:

Macroevolution phylogenetic trees punctuated equilibria speciation rates tree balance tree topology

More Related Videos

A Practical Guide to Phylogenetics for Nonexperts

A Practical Guide to Phylogenetics for Nonexperts

Published on: February 5, 2014

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

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

Published on: July 11, 2025

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Mar 1, 2026

Using Phylogenetic Analysis to Investigate Eukaryotic Gene Origin

Using Phylogenetic Analysis to Investigate Eukaryotic Gene Origin

Published on: August 14, 2018

A Practical Guide to Phylogenetics for Nonexperts

A Practical Guide to Phylogenetics for Nonexperts

Published on: February 5, 2014

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

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

Published on: July 11, 2025

Area of Science:

Evolutionary biology
Phylogenetics
Macroevolutionary dynamics

Background:

Phylogenetic tree shape, particularly balance, offers insights into macroevolutionary processes.
Understanding factors influencing tree balance is crucial for interpreting evolutionary history.

Purpose of the Study:

To explore patterns in phylogenetic tree balance using simulations.
To investigate how varying speciation rates through evolutionary history impact tree balance.

Main Methods:

Utilized a simulation approach to model evolutionary processes.
Examined several models where speciation rates varied over time within diversifying clades.

Main Results:

Heritable speciation rates, dependent on evolving traits, lead to imbalanced phylogenies.
Non-heritable variation in speciation rates can also cause imbalance, depending on the model.
The degree of imbalance increases with the magnitude of speciation rate variation.
For gradual evolution, imbalance reaches an asymptote below the theoretical maximum.
High levels of rate variation are needed to match imbalance observed in real phylogenetic data.

Conclusions:

Speciation rate variation, both heritable and non-heritable, significantly influences phylogenetic tree balance.
The findings have implications for understanding macroevolutionary patterns and interpreting phylogenetic data.