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

Speciation Rates01:07

Speciation Rates

Speciation can proceed at markedly different rates, and evolutionary biologists commonly describe these differences through the models of gradualism and punctuated equilibrium. Both patterns explain how new species arise, but they differ in the tempo and continuity of evolutionary change. In both cases, evolutionary change arises from heritable variation within populations, with natural selection often shaping traits that improve survival and reproduction under specific environmental conditions.
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.The genetics of speciation involves the different traits or isolating mechanisms preventing gene exchange, leading to reproductive isolation. Reproductive isolation can be due to reproductive barriers that have effects either before or after the formation of a zygote. Pre-zygotic mechanisms prevent fertilization from occurring, and post-zygotic mechanisms...
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.Allopatric SpeciationIn allopatric speciation, gene flow between two populations of the same species is prevented by a geographic barrier, like...
Gene Duplication and Divergence02:37

Gene Duplication and Divergence

The seminal work of Ohno in 1970 popularized the idea of gene duplication and divergence. DNA sequence comparison studies reveal that a large portion of the genes in bacteria, archaebacteria, and eukaryotes was  generated by gene duplication and divergence, indicating its critical role in evolution.
The duplicated copies of the gene are called Paralogs. Paralogs with similar sequences and functions form a gene family. Across several species, a large number of gene families are characterized.
Gene Flow02:39

Gene Flow

Gene flow is the transfer of genes among populations, resulting from either the dispersal of gametes or from the migration of individuals.
Understanding Species and Reproductive Barriers01:17

Understanding Species and Reproductive Barriers

A species is a group of organisms that interbreed and produce fertile offspring. Typically, individuals of the same species appear similar and share common characteristics due to their highly similar genomes. However, not all organisms that look alike are members of the same species. Various mechanisms keep most species discrete. While some mechanisms prevent reproductive behavior and fertilization (pre-zygotic isolation), others prevent the production of fertile offspring after mating has...

You might also read

Related Articles

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

Sort by
Same author

Dispersal evolution in a population infected with a male-killing endosymbiont.

Proceedings. Biological sciences·2026
Same author

A career in pursuit of the origin of species: celebrating Roger Butlin's contributions to the advancement of knowledge and growth of our scientific community.

Journal of evolutionary biology·2026
Same author

Direct and indirect benefits of cooperation in collective defense against predation.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·2026
Same author

The loss of a supergene in obligately polygynous Formica wood ant species.

Molecular biology and evolution·2025
Same author

A Novel Supergene Controls Queen Size and Colony Social Organization in the Ant Myrmica ruginodis.

Molecular biology and evolution·2025
Same author

A model-free method for genealogical inference without phasing and its application for topology weighting.

Genetics·2025
Same journal

Genomic Diversity of Aurochs From a Mediterranean Ice-Age Refugium.

Molecular ecology·2026
Same journal

The Fungal Community of a High-Arctic Semi-Desert Ecosystem Is Robust to Two Decades of Doubled Summer Precipitation but Influenced by Plant Dominance.

Molecular ecology·2026
Same journal

Cessation of Gene Flow Associated With the Reduction of a Sexually Selected Phenotype in the Island Stag Beetle.

Molecular ecology·2026
Same journal

A 'Bermuda Triangle' Effect Shaping Reef Fish Connectivity Across the Western Atlantic.

Molecular ecology·2026
Same journal

Molecular Tuning and Morphology of the Olfactory System Underlie Nestmate Recognition in a Polymorphic Ant.

Molecular ecology·2026
Same journal

Contrasting Genomic Outcomes of Secondary Contact in Bornean Bird Lineages: Insights From Barrier Loci, Demographic History and Genomic Features.

Molecular ecology·2026
See all related articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 28, 2026

In Situ Hybridization Techniques for Paraffin-Embedded Adult Coral Samples
07:24

In Situ Hybridization Techniques for Paraffin-Embedded Adult Coral Samples

Published on: August 31, 2018

Introgression and Divergence in a Young Species Group.

I Satokangas1,2, S H Martin2, B Seifert3

  • 1Organismal & Evolutionary Biology Research Programme, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.

Molecular Ecology
|June 26, 2026
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Speciation in wood ants involves complex gene flow across multiple species, even without direct interbreeding. Genomic analysis reveals introgression patterns that challenge traditional models of species barriers at early evolutionary stages.

Keywords:
Formica wood antsdivergencehybridizationintrogressionspeciation

More Related Videos

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

A Concoction Pipeline for Generating Molecular Operational Taxonomic Units (MOTUs) Among Riparian and Aquatic Beetles
10:23

A Concoction Pipeline for Generating Molecular Operational Taxonomic Units (MOTUs) Among Riparian and Aquatic Beetles

Published on: July 11, 2025

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jun 28, 2026

In Situ Hybridization Techniques for Paraffin-Embedded Adult Coral Samples
07:24

In Situ Hybridization Techniques for Paraffin-Embedded Adult Coral Samples

Published on: August 31, 2018

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

A Concoction Pipeline for Generating Molecular Operational Taxonomic Units (MOTUs) Among Riparian and Aquatic Beetles
10:23

A Concoction Pipeline for Generating Molecular Operational Taxonomic Units (MOTUs) Among Riparian and Aquatic Beetles

Published on: July 11, 2025

Area of Science:

  • Evolutionary Biology
  • Genomics
  • Speciation Research

Background:

  • Understanding species diversity requires studying gene flow and reproductive isolation in closely related species.
  • The Formica rufa group (wood ants) provides a model system for investigating early-stage speciation.
  • Previous studies have suggested polygenic species barriers in this group.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To disentangle genomic patterns of divergence and introgression in five Formica rufa group wood ant species.
  • To revise existing mitochondrial phylogenies with a nuclear genomic tree.
  • To investigate the relationship between introgression, recombination, and genomic diversity in young species.

Main Methods:

  • Resequencing data analysis of five Formica rufa group wood ant species.
  • Construction of a nuclear genomic tree to complement mitochondrial phylogenies.
  • Genome-wide correlation analyses of divergence, differentiation, diversity, and introgression.

Main Results:

  • Introgression was confirmed, aligning with current natural hybridization observations.
  • Genome-wide patterns align with theoretical expectations for young species, but lack expected correlations for polygenic barriers, possibly due to ancestral diversity.
  • No strong positive correlation between introgression and recombination was found, suggesting introgression is not always deleterious; low diversity in high introgression regions may indicate selection.
  • Gene flow was observed to cross multiple species boundaries, even without direct interbreeding.

Conclusions:

  • Early-stage speciation in wood ants is characterized by complex introgression patterns that influence genomic structure.
  • The findings challenge simple models of polygenic species barriers and highlight the role of ancestral diversity.
  • Introgression may be shaped by selection and can facilitate gene flow across species boundaries, with potential long-term evolutionary benefits and costs.