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

Molecular Shape and Polarity

Molecular Shape and Polarity

Dipole Moment of a Molecule

Random Error

Random Error

Random or indeterminate errors originate from various uncontrollable variables, such as variations in environmental conditions, instrument imperfections, or the inherent variability of the phenomena being measured. Usually, these errors cannot be predicted, estimated, or characterized because their direction and magnitude often vary in magnitude and direction even during consecutive measurements. As a result, they are difficult to eliminate. However, the aggregate effect of these errors can be...

Random Variables

Random Variables

A random variable is a single numerical value that indicates the outcome of a procedure. The concept of random variables is fundamental to the probability theory and was introduced by a Russian mathematician, Pafnuty Chebyshev, in the mid-nineteenth century.
Uppercase letters such as X or Y denote a random variable. Lowercase letters like x or y denote the value of a random variable. If X is a random variable, then X is written in words, and x is given as a number.
For example, let X = the...

Randomized Experiments

Randomized Experiments

The randomization process involves assigning study participants randomly to experimental or control groups based on their probability of being equally assigned. Randomization is meant to eliminate selection bias and balance known and unknown confounding factors so that the control group is similar to the treatment group as much as possible. A computer program and a random number generator can be used to assign participants to groups in a way that minimizes bias.
Simple randomization
Simple...

VSEPR Theory and the Basic Shapes

VSEPR Theory and the Basic Shapes

Overview of VSEPR Theory

Random and Systematic Errors

Random and Systematic Errors

Scientists always try their best to record measurements with the utmost accuracy and precision. However, sometimes errors do occur. These errors can be random or systematic. Random errors are observed due to the inconsistency or fluctuation in the measurement process, or variations in the quantity itself that is being measured. Such errors fluctuate from being greater than or less than the true value in repeated measurements. Consider a scientist measuring the length of an earthworm using a...

You might also read

Related Articles

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

Sort by

Same author

The selective dynamics of interruptions at short tandem repeats.

Genetics·2026

Same author

A signature-agnostic test for differences between tumor mutation spectra reveals carcinogen and ancestry effects.

Communications biology·2026

Same author

A telomere-to-telomere map of somatic mutation burden and functional impact in cancer.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2025

Same author

A signature-agnostic test for differences between tumor mutation spectra reveals carcinogen and ancestry effects.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2025

Same author

Population size interacts with reproductive longevity to shape the germline mutation rate.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·2025

Same author

An uneasy truce between population health and the gene pools within our bodies.

Nature reviews. Genetics·2025

Same journal

Distinct involvements of the subthalamic nucleus subpopulations in reward-biased decision-making in monkeys.

eLife·2026

Same journal

Pink1-mediated mitophagy in the endothelium releases proteins encoded by mitochondrial DNA and activates neutrophil responses during inflammation.

eLife·2026

Same journal

Restraint of melanoma progression by cells in the local skin environment.

eLife·2026

Same journal

Brawn before bite in endemic Asian eutherian mammals after the end-Cretaceous extinction.

eLife·2026

Same journal

Experimental evolution to thermal stress indicates climate resilience in a cosmopolitan arthropod.

eLife·2026

Same journal

Correlates of protection against African swine fever virus identified by a systems immunology approach.

eLife·2026

See all related articles

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Feb 4, 2026

Primer-Free Aptamer Selection Using A Random DNA Library

Primer-Free Aptamer Selection Using A Random DNA Library

Published on: July 26, 2010

The randomness that shapes our DNA.

Kelley Harris¹

¹Department of Genome Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, United States.

|October 10, 2018

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Neutral evolution, affecting only 5% of the human genome, is key to tracing human migration history. This process provides crucial insights into our ancestors

Keywords:

GC-biased gene conversion demography evolution genetics genomic diversity genomics human natural selection recombination

More Related Videos

U-Shaped Horizontal Swimming Technique for Preparing High-Quality Sperm with Low DNA Fragmentation Index

U-Shaped Horizontal Swimming Technique for Preparing High-Quality Sperm with Low DNA Fragmentation Index

Published on: March 28, 2025

Self-assembly of Complex Two-dimensional Shapes from Single-stranded DNA Tiles

Self-assembly of Complex Two-dimensional Shapes from Single-stranded DNA Tiles

Published on: May 8, 2015

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Feb 4, 2026

Primer-Free Aptamer Selection Using A Random DNA Library

Primer-Free Aptamer Selection Using A Random DNA Library

Published on: July 26, 2010

U-Shaped Horizontal Swimming Technique for Preparing High-Quality Sperm with Low DNA Fragmentation Index

U-Shaped Horizontal Swimming Technique for Preparing High-Quality Sperm with Low DNA Fragmentation Index

Published on: March 28, 2025

Self-assembly of Complex Two-dimensional Shapes from Single-stranded DNA Tiles

Self-assembly of Complex Two-dimensional Shapes from Single-stranded DNA Tiles

Published on: May 8, 2015

Area of Science:

Genetics
Evolutionary Biology
Anthropology

Background:

The human genome contains vast regions, with only a small fraction undergoing neutral evolution.
Understanding evolutionary processes is fundamental to human history and population genetics.

Purpose of the Study:

To highlight the significance of neutral evolution in human population studies.
To underscore the utility of neutral evolutionary markers for reconstructing human migration patterns.

Main Methods:

Analysis of genomic regions under neutral evolutionary pressure.
Comparative genomics to identify conserved and divergent sequences.
Phylogenetic analysis to infer ancestral relationships and migration routes.

Main Results:

Identified specific genomic loci predominantly influenced by neutral evolution.
Demonstrated a strong correlation between neutral evolutionary patterns and established human migration pathways.
Quantified the contribution of neutral evolution to genetic diversity across global populations.

Conclusions:

Despite its limited genomic scope, neutral evolution is a powerful tool for understanding human origins.
The study validates neutral evolution as a reliable marker for tracing ancient human movements and population dynamics.