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

Genetics of Speciation02:16

Genetics of Speciation

Speciation is the evolutionary process resulting in the formation of new, distinct species—groups of reproductively isolated populations.
Evolutionary Relationships through Genome Comparisons02:54

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...
Formation of Species01:31

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.
Mutation, Gene Flow, and Genetic Drift01:09

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).
Genetic Variation01:25

Genetic Variation

Genetic variation is the diversity in DNA sequences found among individuals of the same species. This diversity is crucial for a species' survival because it helps organisms adapt to environmental changes. Genetic variation begins with fertilization, where an egg and sperm cell merge. Each of these cells carries 23 chromosomes, up to 46 in the fertilized egg. Chromosomes are long DNA strands that contain genes, the basic units of heredity.
Genes exist in different versions called alleles, which...
Hybrid Zones02:29

Hybrid Zones

Hybrid zones are narrow regions where two closely related species interact, mate, and produce hybrids. Relative to either parent species, hybrids may possess distinct phenotypic or genetic differences that impact their survival and reproductive success. The genetic variances introduced by hybridization influence species diversity and speciation processes within the hybrid zone.

You might also read

Related Articles

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

Sort by
Same author

DNA methylation and epigenomic profiling post-mortem of human remain analogs (Sus scrofa) in southern Ontario, Canada.

Journal of forensic sciences·2026
Same author

Optimising Genome-Wide Detection of Runs of Homozygosity: Impacts of Reference Genome Quality and Sequencing Parameters on Inbreeding Assessment.

Molecular ecology resources·2025
Same author

Ancient DNA of the Toronto Subway Deer adds to the extinction list of ice age megafauna.

Biology letters·2025
Same author

Runs of Homozygosity and Inferences in Wild Populations.

Molecular ecology·2025
Same author

Comparative Genomics of the World's Smallest Mammals Reveals Links to Echolocation, Metabolism, and Body Size Plasticity.

Genome biology and evolution·2024
Same author

Island demographics and trait associations in white-tailed deer.

Heredity·2024
Same journal

Isolation and Connectivity: Population Structure of an Ectomycorrhizal Truffle in the Fragmented Mountain Landscape of the Madrean Sky Island Archipelago.

Molecular ecology·2026
Same journal

Refugia, but Not for Everyone: Genetic Structure Differentiates Shallow and Mesophotic Populations of the Brooder Sponge Ircinia variabilis.

Molecular ecology·2026
Same journal

Leafcutter Ant Farmers Prevent Loss of Edible Symbiotic Structures by Maintaining Allelic Diversity in Their Multinucleate Fungal Crop.

Molecular ecology·2026
Same journal

Resolving Emergent Patterns in Community Genetics With Environmental DNA.

Molecular ecology·2026
Same journal

Genomic Offsets Predict Survival With Low Accuracy in a Marine Common Garden.

Molecular ecology·2026
Same journal

Differential Immune Responses Correlate With Chytridiomycosis Severity in Italian Crested Newts.

Molecular ecology·2026
See all related articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 8, 2026

Protocol for Assessing the Relative Effects of Environment and Genetics on Antler and Body Growth for a Long-lived Cervid
09:09

Protocol for Assessing the Relative Effects of Environment and Genetics on Antler and Body Growth for a Long-lived Cervid

Published on: August 8, 2017

Structural Genomic Variation and Its Potential Role in Deer Speciation.

Faezeh Azimi Chetabi1, Aaron Shafer1

  • 1Environmental and Life Sciences Graduate Program, Trent University, Peterborough, Ontario, Canada.

Molecular Ecology
|May 7, 2026
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Structural variants (SVs) drive deer speciation by creating unique genomic changes. These large-scale mutations, mainly deletions and insertions, impact genes related to reproduction and adaptation, contributing to species divergence.

Keywords:
Odocoileusadaptationcomparative genomicsgenomic divergencelong‐readshort‐read

More Related Videos

A Noninvasive Hair Sampling Technique to Obtain High Quality DNA from Elusive Small Mammals
07:40

A Noninvasive Hair Sampling Technique to Obtain High Quality DNA from Elusive Small Mammals

Published on: March 13, 2011

Microinjection for Transgenesis and Genome Editing in Threespine Sticklebacks
08:51

Microinjection for Transgenesis and Genome Editing in Threespine Sticklebacks

Published on: May 13, 2016

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: May 8, 2026

Protocol for Assessing the Relative Effects of Environment and Genetics on Antler and Body Growth for a Long-lived Cervid
09:09

Protocol for Assessing the Relative Effects of Environment and Genetics on Antler and Body Growth for a Long-lived Cervid

Published on: August 8, 2017

A Noninvasive Hair Sampling Technique to Obtain High Quality DNA from Elusive Small Mammals
07:40

A Noninvasive Hair Sampling Technique to Obtain High Quality DNA from Elusive Small Mammals

Published on: March 13, 2011

Microinjection for Transgenesis and Genome Editing in Threespine Sticklebacks
08:51

Microinjection for Transgenesis and Genome Editing in Threespine Sticklebacks

Published on: May 13, 2016

Area of Science:

  • Genomics
  • Evolutionary Biology
  • Biodiversity Research

Background:

  • Speciation is crucial for biodiversity, and understanding its genetic basis is vital for conservation.
  • Structural variants (SVs) are large genomic alterations (>50 bp) linked to adaptive divergence and reproductive isolation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the role of SVs in the speciation and divergence of two deer species (Odocoileus spp.).
  • To identify species-specific SVs and their potential impact on adaptive evolution and reproductive isolation.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized multiple long-read and short-read sequencing datasets for comprehensive genomic analysis.
  • Developed a bioinformatics workflow to detect and characterize SVs and associated genomic features unique to each species.
  • Inferred selection on SVs using dN/dS ratios and analyzed regulatory motif content in fixed SVs.

Main Results:

  • Identified numerous species-specific SVs, predominantly deletions and insertions, suggesting potential for fixation.
  • Found that while most SVs were intergenic, some impacted genes, with 3 showing signs of selection.
  • Observed a reduced number of regulatory motifs in fixed species-specific SVs compared to the broader genome.
  • SV-affected genes were frequently associated with reproduction and sensory adaptation.

Conclusions:

  • SVs play a significant role in the speciation and divergence of Odocoileus deer species.
  • The identified SVs, particularly those affecting genes related to reproduction and sensory adaptation, offer insights into mechanisms of reproductive isolation and adaptive evolution.