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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Dec 16, 2025

Genetic Mapping of Thermotolerance Differences Between Species of Saccharomyces Yeast via Genome-Wide Reciprocal Hemizygosity Analysis

Genetic Mapping of Thermotolerance Differences Between Species of Saccharomyces Yeast via Genome-Wide Reciprocal Hemizygosity Analysis

Published on: August 12, 2019

Defining Species When There is Gene Flow.

Xiyun Jiao¹, Ziheng Yang¹

¹Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment, University College London, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, UK.

Systematic Biology

|July 4, 2020

Summary

Gene flow can make individuals from different species genetically closer than those within the same species. This finding challenges traditional species concepts and highlights the impact of migration on genetic divergence.

Area of Science:

Evolutionary Biology
Population Genetics
Genomics

Background:

The species concept generally assumes conspecifics are more genetically similar than heterospecifics.
Cross-species gene flow can complicate genetic similarity assessments.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the impact of gene flow on genetic differentiation within and between species.
To explore scenarios where genetic similarity is higher between species than within a species.

Main Methods:

Utilizing the multispecies coalescent model.
Simulating continuous-time migration and episodic introgression.
Analyzing genetic differences under varying population sizes and asymmetrical migration rates.

Main Results:

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Last Updated: Dec 16, 2025

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Demonstrated a plausible scenario where gene flow leads to higher genetic similarity between species than within a species.
Highlighted the significant impact of even minimal gene flow on species' genetic history.
Showcased how population size and migration asymmetry can reverse expected genetic relatedness.

Conclusions:

Gene flow can challenge conventional species delimitation based on genetic similarity.
Contrasting long-term migration rates with short-term hybridization rates can aid in identifying reproductive barriers.
Genetic data analysis offers a powerful approach to defining species boundaries in the face of gene flow.