Population genetics and a study of speciation using next-generation sequencing: an educational primer for use with "Patterns of transcriptome divergence in the male accessory gland of two closely related species of field crickets".

UNLABELLED: Understanding evidence for the genetic basis of reproductive isolation is imperative for supporting students' understanding of mechanisms of speciation in courses such as Genetics and Evolutionary Biology. An article by Andrés et al. in the February 2013 issue of GENETICS illustrates how advances in DNA sequencing are accelerating studies of population genetics in species with limited genetic and genomic resources. Andrés et al. use the latest sequencing technologies to systematically identify and characterize sites in the DNA that vary within, and have diverged between, species to explore speciation in crickets. This primer, coupled with that article, will help instructors introduce and reinforce important concepts in genetics and evolution while simultaneously introducing modern methodology in the undergraduate classroom. Related article in GENETICS: Andrés, J. A., E. L. Larson, S. M. Bogdanowicz, and R. G. Harrison, 2013 Patterns of transcriptome divergence in the male accessory gland of two closely related species of field crickets. Genetics 193: 501-513.