coalescent

Definition

Relating to or denoting a model of genetic history in which lineages of genes in a population merge into a single common ancestor as they are traced backward in time.

Etymology

Derived from the Latin 'coalescere', meaning to grow together or unite, which combines 'co-' (together) and 'alescere' (to grow). It entered English in the 17th century to describe the act of merging into a single body or substance.

In the news

In the context of hybridization, the coalescent framework is used to model how ancestral alleles are shared or sorted between species over time. It is crucial for distinguishing between incomplete lineage sorting and actual interspecies gene flow.

Genetics and genomics of hybridization

Nature

Related words