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Related Concept Videos

Types of Selection01:46

Types of Selection

Natural selection influences the frequencies of particular alleles and phenotypes within populations in several different ways. Primarily, natural selection can be directional, stabilizing, or disruptive. Directional selection favors one extreme trait and shifts the population towards that phenotype while selecting against individuals displaying alternate traits. Stabilizing selection favors an intermediate trait with a narrow range of variation. Deviation from the optimal phenotype towards an...
What is Population Genetics?01:25

What is Population Genetics?

A population is composed of members of the same species that simultaneously live and interact in the same area. When individuals in a population breed, they pass down their genes to their offspring. Many of these genes are polymorphic, meaning that they occur in multiple variants. Such variations of a gene are referred to as alleles. The collective set of all the alleles within a population is known as the gene pool.While some alleles of a given gene might be observed commonly, other variants...
Limits to Natural Selection01:38

Limits to Natural Selection

Organisms that are well-adapted to their environment are more likely to survive and reproduce. However, natural selection does not lead to perfectly adapted organisms. Several factors constrain natural selection.For one, natural selection can only act upon existing genetic variation. Hypothetically, redtusks may enhance elephant survival by deterring ivory-seeking poachers. However, if there are no gene variants—or alleles—for redtusks, natural selection cannot increase the prevalence of...
Genetic Screens02:46

Genetic Screens

Genetic screens are tools used to identify genes and mutations responsible for phenotypes of interest. Genetic screens help identify individuals or a group of people at risk of developing  genetic diseases and help them with early intervention, targeted therapy, and reproductive options.
Forward genetic screens
Forward or “classical” genetic screens involve creating random mutations in an organism’s DNA using radiation, mutagens, or insertion of additional bases, which result in visible changes...
Evolutionary Psychology01:20

Evolutionary Psychology

Evolutionary psychology explores the origins of human behavior and mental processes by framing them within the context of natural selection, a theory famously propounded by Charles Darwin. This field asserts that many behaviors common across human societies — ranging from instinctive fear reactions to complex social interactions — arose as evolutionary adaptations. These adaptations enhanced the survival and reproductive success of our ancestors, thereby becoming embedded in the human psyche...
Natural Selection and Mating Preferences01:06

Natural Selection and Mating Preferences

The principle of natural selection posits that organisms better adapted to their environment are more likely to survive and reproduce. This principle is closely intertwined with mating preferences, a key aspect of sexual selection, which evolutionary psychologists believe is driven by instincts to propagate one's genes. Such instincts significantly influence mating behaviors and preferences between genders.
Females, due to their biological roles in conception, pregnancy, and nursing, inherently...

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A Strategy to Identify de Novo Mutations in Common Disorders such as Autism and Schizophrenia
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Methods to detect selection in populations with applications to the human.

M Kreitman1

  • 1Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637, USA. mkre@midway.uchicago.edu

Annual Review of Genomics and Human Genetics
|November 10, 2001
PubMed
Summary

Statistical tests for DNA-level natural selection have advanced over 13 years. Distinguishing selection from demographic factors like mutation, drift, and population structure remains challenging, especially in human DNA.

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Area of Science:

  • Population genetics
  • Molecular evolution
  • Statistical genomics

Background:

  • Statistical tests for natural selection at the DNA level have been developed over the past 13 years.
  • Current methods rely on the neutral theory of molecular evolution as a null hypothesis.
  • Departures from neutral expectations may indicate natural selection or linked selection.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the current state of statistical tests for natural selection at the DNA level.
  • To describe available tests and their underlying assumptions.
  • To discuss challenges in interpreting results, particularly in non-equilibrium populations.

Main Methods:

  • Review of existing statistical tests for natural selection.
  • Application of neutral evolution theory as a null hypothesis.
  • Analysis of population genetic data, including human mitochondrial DNA.

Main Results:

  • Various statistical tests for DNA-level selection are available.
  • Interpreting departures from neutrality is complicated by factors like mutation-drift disequilibrium and population subdivision.
  • Distinguishing selection from demographic hypotheses in human mitochondrial DNA remains difficult.

Conclusions:

  • The development of statistical tests for natural selection has progressed significantly.
  • Non-equilibrium population dynamics and structure complicate the detection of selection.
  • Further population genetic data and improved null models are needed to better define alternatives to selection.