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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...
Hardy-Weinberg Principle01:49

Hardy-Weinberg Principle

Diploid organisms have two alleles of each gene, one from each parent, in their somatic cells. Therefore, each individual contributes two alleles to the gene pool of the population. The gene pool of a population is the sum of every allele of all genes within that population and has some degree of variation. Genetic variation is typically expressed as a relative frequency, which is the percentage of the total population that has a given allele, genotype or phenotype.In the early 20th century,...
Frequency-dependent Selection01:21

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...
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...
Life Histories01:29

Life Histories

Constrained by limited energy and resources, organisms must compromise between offspring quantity and parental investment. This trade-off is represented by two primary reproductive strategies; K-strategists produce few offspring but provide substantial parental support, whereas r-strategists produce much progeny that receives little care. These strategies are related to an organism’s survival likelihood across its lifespan, which is represented by a survivorship curve. Three general types of...
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.The Theory of Natural...

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Following the Dynamics of Structural Variants in Experimentally Evolved Populations
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Published on: February 3, 2023

The status of the conditional evolutionarily stable strategy.

Joseph L Tomkins1, Wade Hazel

  • 1Centre for Evolutionary Biology, School of Animal Biology, University of Western Australia, Crawley, 6009 WA, Australia.

Trends in Ecology & Evolution
|October 9, 2007
PubMed
Summary

This study revisits the conditional evolutionarily stable strategy (ESS), a key model for understanding how organisms develop alternative phenotypes. It refutes critiques and reaffirms the theory using environmental threshold models.

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Area of Science:

  • Evolutionary biology
  • Behavioral ecology
  • Theoretical ecology

Background:

  • The conditional evolutionarily stable strategy (ESS) is widely used to explain alternative phenotypes.
  • Recent critiques by Shuster and Wade question the robustness of conditional ESS models.
  • These critiques are based on Gross's status-dependent selection model for alternative reproductive tactics.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To critically evaluate Gross's status-dependent selection model and the Shuster and Wade critique.
  • To re-examine the theoretical underpinnings of conditional ESS.
  • To demonstrate the utility of environmental threshold models in understanding conditional strategies.

Main Methods:

  • Critical assessment of existing theoretical models.
  • Analysis of status-dependent selection proposals.
  • Application of reaction norm and quantitative genetic theory.

Main Results:

  • Shortcomings and misconceptions were identified in both Gross's model and the Shuster and Wade critique.
  • The foundational strategic models supporting conditional ESS were re-evaluated.
  • Environmental threshold models were shown to effectively explain conditional strategy evolution.

Conclusions:

  • The theoretical basis of conditional ESS remains robust.
  • Environmental threshold models provide a strong framework for understanding the evolution of conditional strategies.
  • Critiques of conditional ESS models were found to be based on flawed premises.