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

Genetics of Speciation

Genetics of Speciation

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

Speciation Rates

Speciation Rates

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 Flow

Gene Flow

Gene flow is the transfer of genes among populations, resulting from either the dispersal of gametes or from the migration of individuals.

Conservation of Small Populations

Conservation of Small Populations

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...

Mutation, Gene Flow, and Genetic Drift

Mutation, Gene Flow, and Genetic Drift

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).

You might also read

Related Articles

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

Sort by

Same author

Charting Cervical Spinal Cord Morphometry Across the Lifespan.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2026

Same author

Low concentration atropine eye drops and progression of myopia in children: multicentre placebo controlled, double masked, randomised trial in the UK (CHAMP-UK).

BMJ (Clinical research ed.)·2026

Same author

The influence of prior brief occlusion therapy on the outcome of later amblyopia treatment in cats.

Frontiers in neuroscience·2026

Same author

Conserving Freshwater Biodiversity in U. S. Protected Areas - Management Intervention and the RAD Framework.

Environmental management·2025

Same author

Mock Plant Communities and a Large Mammal Case Study Reveal ITS2 Primer Bias Against Graminoids.

Ecology and evolution·2025

Same author

Ground-truthed and high-resolution drone images of the leafy spurge weed plant (Euphorbia esula).

Scientific data·2025

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 21, 2025

Microinjection for Transgenesis and Genome Editing in Threespine Sticklebacks

Microinjection for Transgenesis and Genome Editing in Threespine Sticklebacks

Published on: May 13, 2016

Genomic Insights Into Inbreeding and Adaptive Divergence of Trout Populations to Inform Genetic Rescue.

Donovan A Bell^1,2, Kellie J Carim³, Ryan Kovach²

¹Wildlife Biology Program University of Montana Missoula Montana USA.

Evolutionary Applications

|March 21, 2025

Summary

Genetic rescue in westslope cutthroat trout (WCT) is crucial due to high inbreeding in isolated populations. While adaptive divergence poses risks, genetic rescue likely benefits the most genetically depauperate WCT populations.

Keywords:

Oncorhynchus lewisi genetic rescue inbreeding isolation westslope cutthroat trout

More Related Videos

Shifting Zebrafish Lethal Skeletal Mutant Penetrance by Progeny Testing

Shifting Zebrafish Lethal Skeletal Mutant Penetrance by Progeny Testing

Published on: September 1, 2017

Genotyping and Quantification of In Situ Hybridization Staining in Zebrafish

Genotyping and Quantification of In Situ Hybridization Staining in Zebrafish

Published on: January 28, 2020

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: May 21, 2025

Microinjection for Transgenesis and Genome Editing in Threespine Sticklebacks

Microinjection for Transgenesis and Genome Editing in Threespine Sticklebacks

Published on: May 13, 2016

Shifting Zebrafish Lethal Skeletal Mutant Penetrance by Progeny Testing

Shifting Zebrafish Lethal Skeletal Mutant Penetrance by Progeny Testing

Published on: September 1, 2017

Genotyping and Quantification of In Situ Hybridization Staining in Zebrafish

Genotyping and Quantification of In Situ Hybridization Staining in Zebrafish

Published on: January 28, 2020

Area of Science:

Conservation genetics
Population genomics
Evolutionary biology

Background:

Genetic rescue aims to increase gene flow and reduce inbreeding in threatened populations.
However, gene flow can decrease fitness due to outbreeding depression when populations are adaptively differentiated.
Understanding these trade-offs is vital for effective conservation strategies, especially for isolated species like westslope cutthroat trout (WCT).

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the interplay of isolation, inbreeding, and adaptive divergence in WCT populations.
To assess the genomic consequences of isolation and identify potential trade-offs for genetic rescue.
To inform conservation efforts for this vulnerable salmonid species.

Main Methods:

Utilized over 150,000 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) to analyze genomic variation in 565 WCT individuals across 25 populations.
Examined runs of homozygosity to quantify inbreeding coefficients and genetic diversity.
Conducted genome scans to detect loci associated with life history traits in 10 isolated populations.

Main Results:

Several isolated WCT populations exhibited extremely low genetic variation and high inbreeding coefficients, termed "flatlined".
Genome scans identified a single candidate genomic region influencing maximum length and growth rates (age-1 to age-2).
The limited number of identified loci suggests life history variation may be influenced by numerous genes with small effects or phenotypic plasticity.

Conclusions:

High levels of inbreeding in several isolated WCT populations indicate a strong need for genetic rescue.
While adaptive differentiation is a consideration, the immediate benefit of increasing genetic diversity in depauperate populations appears paramount.
Genetic rescue strategies should prioritize populations with the most severe genetic erosion to mitigate extinction risk.