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Related Concept Videos

What is Natural Selection?01:32

What is Natural Selection?

Natural selection is an evolutionary process in which individuals with survival-promoting traits reproduce at higher rates. These favorable traits become more common within a population or species. Naturally selected traits initially arise via random genetic mutations. In order for selection to occur, there must be variation within a population, the trait controlling the variation must be heritable, and there must be an evolutionary advantage for variation in the trait.
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...
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.
Genetics of Speciation02:16

Genetics of Speciation

Speciation is the evolutionary process resulting in the formation of new, distinct species—groups of reproductively isolated populations.
Heritability01:06

Heritability

Heritability is a statistical concept that measures the degree to which genetic differences among individuals contribute to trait variations within a population. It is a fundamental idea in genetics, often prone to misinterpretation. Heritability is expressed as a percentage, reflecting the proportion of variation in a specific trait across a population that can be linked to genetic differences. However, it's important to understand that heritability does not determine how "genetic" a trait is,...
Natural Selection and Adaptation01:15

Natural Selection and Adaptation

Natural selection, a fundamental concept in evolutionary biology, is the mechanism by which evolution is driven, favoring organisms that are best adapted to their environments. This process enhances their chances of survival and reproduction. Adaptation, a key outcome of this process, involves genetic modifications that optimize an organism's functionality under specific environmental challenges, such as extreme cold or thinner air at high altitudes.
Beyond physical adaptations, psychological...

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Related Experiment Video

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Resurrection of Dormant Daphnia magna: Protocol and Applications
07:37

Resurrection of Dormant Daphnia magna: Protocol and Applications

Published on: January 19, 2018

Environmental coupling of selection and heritability limits evolution.

A J Wilson1, J M Pemberton, J G Pilkington

  • 1Institute of Evolutionary Biology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom. Alastair.Wilson@ed.ac.uk

Plos Biology
|June 8, 2006
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Environmental variation impacts evolution in wild populations. This study reveals that harsh conditions reduce genetic variation, while good conditions reduce selection, constraining microevolution potential.

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Area of Science:

  • Evolutionary biology
  • Quantitative genetics
  • Ecology

Background:

  • Classical evolutionary models often assume constant environments, which is unrealistic for natural populations.
  • Understanding how environmental variability affects evolutionary processes is crucial for wild populations.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the simultaneous influence of environmental quality variation on natural selection and genetic variance in a wild population.
  • To examine the relationship between environmental heterogeneity, selection strength, and heritable trait variation.

Main Methods:

  • Application of a novel analytical technique to a long-term dataset on birthweight in wild sheep.
  • Analysis of how environmental quality affects both the strength of selection and the genetic basis of trait variability.

Main Results:

  • Demonstrated significant variation in selection and genetic variance across different environmental conditions.
  • Revealed a negative correlation between selection strength and genetic variance induced by environmental heterogeneity.
  • Observed that harsh environments had strong selection but low genetic variance, and good environments had weak selection but high genetic variance.

Conclusions:

  • Environmental dependence of selection and genetic variance can limit microevolutionary rates and promote phenotypic stasis.
  • Failure to account for environmental variability can lead to inaccurate predictions of phenotypic microevolution.
  • Environmental heterogeneity plays a critical role in shaping evolutionary trajectories in natural populations.