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

Evolutionary Relationships through Genome Comparisons02:54

Evolutionary Relationships through Genome Comparisons

6.1K
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...
6.1K
Conservation of Small Populations02:04

Conservation of Small Populations

13.3K
Small population sizes put a species at extreme risk of extinction due to a lack of variation, and a consequent decrease in adaptability. This weakens the chances of survival under pressures such as climate change, competition from other species, or new diseases. Large populations are more likely to survive pressures such as these, as such populations are more likely to harbor individuals that have genetic variants that are adaptive under new stresses. Small populations are much less...
13.3K
Mutation, Gene Flow, and Genetic Drift01:09

Mutation, Gene Flow, and Genetic Drift

59.3K
In a population that is not at Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium, the frequency of alleles changes over time. Therefore, any deviations from the five conditions of Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium can alter the genetic variation of a given population. Conditions that change the genetic variability of a population include mutations, natural selection, non-random mating, gene flow, and genetic drift (small population size).
59.3K
Conservation of Declining Populations02:07

Conservation of Declining Populations

9.7K
Conservation of declining population focuses on ways of detecting, diagnosing, and halting a population decline. The approach uses methods to prevent populations from going extinct.
9.7K
Habitat Fragmentation02:31

Habitat Fragmentation

17.8K
Habitat fragmentation describes the division of a more extensive, continuous habitat into smaller, discontinuous areas. Human activities such as land conversion, as well as slower geological processes leading to changes in the physical environment, are the two leading causes of habitat fragmentation. The fragmentation process typically follows the same steps: perforation, dissection, fragmentation, shrinkage, and attrition.
17.8K
Genetic Drift03:33

Genetic Drift

40.5K
Natural selection—probably the most well-known evolutionary mechanism—increases the prevalence of traits that enhance survival and reproduction. However, evolution does not merely propagate favorable traits, nor does it always benefit populations.
40.5K

You might also read

Related Articles

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

Sort by
Same author

COLLEMBOT: AI-based counting of Collembola for OECD 232 Tests.

Environmental toxicology and chemistry·2026
Same author

Effects of a mixture of mulching film microplastics on soil properties, microbial activities, and plants in terrestrial mesocosms with and without earthworms.

Journal of hazardous materials·2026
Same author

Corrigendum to "Microplastics and PFAS as ubiquitous pollutants affect potencies of highly toxic chemicals in mixtures" [J Hazard Mater 500 (2025) 140493].

Journal of hazardous materials·2026
Same author

Microplastics and PFAS as ubiquitous pollutants affect potencies of highly toxic chemicals in mixtures.

Journal of hazardous materials·2025
Same author

Predicting the functional impact of single nucleotide variants in Drosophila melanogaster with FlyCADD.

Genetics·2025
Same author

Sublethal effects of microplastics sourced from polypropylene agricultural plastics on four soil invertebrate species.

Journal of hazardous materials·2025

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Aug 26, 2025

Laboratory and Field Protocol for Estimating Sheet Erosion Rates from Dendrogeomorphology
07:20

Laboratory and Field Protocol for Estimating Sheet Erosion Rates from Dendrogeomorphology

Published on: January 7, 2019

7.8K

Challenges in quantifying genome erosion for conservation.

Mirte Bosse1,2, Sam van Loon1

  • 1Amsterdam Institute for Life and Environment (A-LIFE), Section Ecology and Evolution, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands.

Frontiers in Genetics
|October 13, 2022
PubMed
Summary

Genetic erosion, including homozygosity and inbreeding, threatens species survival. Quantifying genetic erosion using whole genome sequencing can aid conservation efforts in assessing extinction risks.

Keywords:
conservationconservation genomicsgenetic diversitygenetic loadinbreedingruns of homozygosity

More Related Videos

Tick Microbiome Characterization by Next-Generation 16S rRNA Amplicon Sequencing
07:21

Tick Microbiome Characterization by Next-Generation 16S rRNA Amplicon Sequencing

Published on: August 25, 2018

12.9K
Development and Testing of Species-specific Quantitative PCR Assays for Environmental DNA Applications
08:54

Development and Testing of Species-specific Quantitative PCR Assays for Environmental DNA Applications

Published on: November 5, 2020

14.1K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Aug 26, 2025

Laboratory and Field Protocol for Estimating Sheet Erosion Rates from Dendrogeomorphology
07:20

Laboratory and Field Protocol for Estimating Sheet Erosion Rates from Dendrogeomorphology

Published on: January 7, 2019

7.8K
Tick Microbiome Characterization by Next-Generation 16S rRNA Amplicon Sequencing
07:21

Tick Microbiome Characterization by Next-Generation 16S rRNA Amplicon Sequencing

Published on: August 25, 2018

12.9K
Development and Testing of Species-specific Quantitative PCR Assays for Environmental DNA Applications
08:54

Development and Testing of Species-specific Quantitative PCR Assays for Environmental DNA Applications

Published on: November 5, 2020

14.1K

Area of Science:

  • Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
  • Conservation Genetics

Background:

  • Massive defaunation and high extinction rates characterize the Anthropocene.
  • Population decline can lead to an extinction vortex due to reduced genetic fitness.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the concept of genetic erosion and its implications for species conservation.
  • To highlight the potential of quantifying genetic erosion as a tool for conservationists.

Main Methods:

  • Review of existing literature on genetic erosion and its types (homozygosity, genetic load, runs of homozygosity).
  • Discussion on the utility of whole genome sequencing for quantifying genetic erosion.
  • Consideration of screening for genetic load and hybridization.

Main Results:

  • Genetic erosion, encompassing homozygosity and inbreeding, is a significant factor in population decline.
  • Currently, no clear correlation exists between conservation status and genetic erosion, but high levels may signal future deterioration.
  • Whole genome sequencing offers a promising method for objective genetic assessment of extinction risk.

Conclusions:

  • Quantifying genetic erosion provides an objective measure for conservationists to assess species at risk.
  • Habitat fragmentation and decline exacerbate genetic erosion in wild populations.
  • Bridging the complexity of genetic erosion quantification with conservation applications remains a challenge.