Molecular Ecology

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Over recent decades, molecular biology has transformed ecological research. The rapid development of methods for genetically characterizing individuals, populations, and species has yielded a wealth of novel data and insights into the ecology and evolution of various organisms, including plants, animals, fungi, algae, and bacteria. Molecular markers enable us to quantify genetic diversity, track individual movements, measure inbreeding, identify remains, characterize new species, and retrace historical dispersal patterns. Recent advancements in genomic techniques have further illuminated gene functions and the impact of evolutionary adaptations on organism survival in changing environments. These applications not only pique academic interest but also address practical ecological concerns, such as identifying endangered populations at risk from inbreeding or assessing hybridization between genetically modified crops and wild relatives. The increasing accessibility and cost-effectiveness of molecular genetic data acquisition allow laboratories worldwide to undertake previously unimaginable tasks, such as describing entire communities from remnant DNA in water samples or comparing functional genes across different populations.