Periodical cicadas
Related Experiment Video
Updated: Oct 15, 2026

06:22
A Precise and Autonomous System for the Detection of Insect Emergence Patterns
Published on: January 9, 2019
1Universität Osnabrück, FB Mathematik/Informatik, Germany. anja@mathematik.Uni-Osnabrueck.de
Journal of Mathematical Biology
|July 8, 2000
Abstract:
The evolution of periodicity and synchronicity of magical cicadas is studied by means of mathematical models.
Related Concept Videos
Migration
Migration is long-range, seasonal movement from one region or habitat to another. This common strategy, carried out by many different organisms around the world, is an adaptive response that typically corresponds to changes in an organism’s environment, like resource availability or climate. Migrations can involve huge groups of thousands of animals as well as single individuals traveling alone and can range from thousands of kilometers to just a few hundred meters.
Frequency-dependent Selection
When the fitness of a trait is influenced by how common it is (i.e., its frequency) relative to different traits within a population, this is referred to as frequency-dependent selection. Frequency-dependent selection may occur between species or within a single species. This type of selection can either be positive—with more common phenotypes having higher fitness—or negative, with rarer phenotypes conferring increased fitness.Positive Frequency-Dependent SelectionIn positive...

