Scientists studying speciation often look at both nuclear DNA and mitochondrial DNA. Why is the genetic information obtained from mitochondrial DNA different from information obtained through nuclear DNA in sexually reproducing species?

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In most sexually reproducing organisms, mitochondrial DNA is inherited exclusively from the female parent, while nuclear DNA is inherited from both the male and female parents. This is because during fertilization, the egg contributes both nuclear DNA and mitochondrial DNA to the developing embryo, while the sperm only contributes nuclear DNA. As a result, the mitochondrial DNA in a population can be used to track the maternal lineage over time, while nuclear DNA reflects the genetic contributions of both parents. Additionally, mitochondrial DNA is circular and lacks introns, meaning that it evolves more rapidly than nuclear DNA and can provide additional information for studying the evolutionary history of a species.

Scientists Studying Speciation Often Look at Both Nuclear DNA and Mitochondrial