during replication, preserve the detached strand of DNA that is waiting to be replicated. Importance The D-loop region is important for phylogeographic studies. Because the region does not code for any genes, it is not imperative for this region to remain conserved over time, therefore, it is free to mutate with only a few selective limitations on size and heavy/light strand factors. The mutation rate is among the fastest of anywhere in either the nuclear or mitochondrial genomes in animals. Using these mutations in the D-loop, recent and rapid evolutionary changes can effectively be tracked such as within species and among very closely related species. Due to the high mutation rate, it is not effective in tracking evolutionary changes that are not recent. This is a very common use of the D-loop in genomics. One example of the use of D-loop mutations in phylogeographic studies was the phylogeny assembled using the highly unstudied red deer on the Iberian peninsula. Scientist tracked the D-loop polymorphisms within these red deer and determined the genetic relationship that these deer had among each other. They were also able to determine the relationships, based on D-loop similarities and differences, between these red deer and other deer throughout Europe. In another example, scientist used the variations in the D-loop, along with microsatellite markers, to study and map out the genetic diversity among goats in Sri Lanka. See also D-loop Mitochondrial DNA—useful in organisation of nucleoid of mitochondria Organelle References External links Human Mitochondrial DNA Database Chloroplast DNA Database MtDNA Community Database DNA