Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Related Concept Videos

Types of Selection

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...

Frequency-dependent Selection

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 Selection

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...

What is Natural Selection?

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...

Genetic Drift

Genetic Drift

Natural selection—probably the most well-known evolutionary mechanism—increases the prevalence of traits that enhance survival and reproduction. However, evolution does not merely propagate favorable traits, nor does it always benefit populations.Life is not fair. A deer grazing contentedly in a field can have her meal cut tragically short by a bolt of lightning. If the doomed doe is one of only three in the population, 1/3 of the population’s gene pool is lost. Random events like this can...

Natural Selection and Mating Preferences

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...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by

Same author

Evolutionary adaptation to global change reduces sustainable fisheries yields.

Science (New York, N.Y.)·2026

Same author

Revolutionizing Glioblastoma Treatment: A Comprehensive Overview of Modern Therapeutic Approaches.

International journal of molecular sciences·2024

Same author

Life history optimisation drives latitudinal gradients and responses to global change in marine fishes.

PLoS biology·2023

Same author

Bioactive Modified Non-Wovens as a Novel Approach of Plants Protection against Invasive Slugs.

Materials (Basel, Switzerland)·2021

Same author

Concerted evolution of body mass, cell size and metabolic rate among carabid beetles.

Journal of insect physiology·2021

Same author

Scaling of organ masses in mammals and birds: phylogenetic signal and implications for metabolic rate scaling.

ZooKeys·2020

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 8, 2026

Predicting the Effectiveness of Population Replacement Strategy Using Mathematical Modeling

Predicting the Effectiveness of Population Replacement Strategy Using Mathematical Modeling

Published on: July 4, 2007

How can we model selectively neutral density dependence in evolutionary games.

Krzysztof Argasinski¹, Jan Kozłowski

¹Jagiellonian University, Institute of Environmental Sciences, Gronostajowa 7, 30-387 Kraków, Poland. argas1@wp.pl

Theoretical Population Biology

|January 9, 2008

Summary

Density dependence in population dynamics is crucial. This study introduces a new model considering individual turnover and mortality, offering a more realistic approach to population growth suppression in frequency-dependent models.

More Related Videos

A Psychophysics Paradigm for the Collection and Analysis of Similarity Judgments

A Psychophysics Paradigm for the Collection and Analysis of Similarity Judgments

Published on: March 1, 2022

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jul 8, 2026

Predicting the Effectiveness of Population Replacement Strategy Using Mathematical Modeling

Predicting the Effectiveness of Population Replacement Strategy Using Mathematical Modeling

Published on: July 4, 2007

A Psychophysics Paradigm for the Collection and Analysis of Similarity Judgments

A Psychophysics Paradigm for the Collection and Analysis of Similarity Judgments

Published on: March 1, 2022

Area of Science:

Population Dynamics
Evolutionary Game Theory
Mathematical Biology

Background:

Density dependence is a fundamental concept in population dynamics, influencing models from Lotka-Volterra to population genetics and game theory.
Classic replicator dynamics lack density dependence, leading to unrealistic unlimited population growth.
Existing solutions for density dependence in replicator dynamics have limitations, affecting compatibility with life history theory and selective neutrality.

Purpose of the Study:

To address the limitations of current models by incorporating density dependence into frequency-dependent population dynamics.
To propose a novel approach that explicitly considers individual turnover and mortality rates.
To investigate the impact of this new approach on population equilibrium and the pace of selection.

Main Methods:

Developing a modified replicator dynamics model that includes density dependence through individual turnover.
Analyzing the model's predictions regarding population size equilibrium and selection trajectories.
Comparing the new model's outcomes with existing density-dependent and density-independent models.

Main Results:

The new model predicts an equilibrium population size lower than the carrying capacity, which is dependent on the mortality rate.
Selection trajectories maintain the same phase portrait as density-independent models.
The pace of selection slows as population size approaches equilibrium and then stabilizes, becoming dependent on the individual turnover rate.

Conclusions:

Explicitly modeling individual turnover dependent on mortality provides a more biologically realistic framework for population dynamics.
This approach overcomes the limitations of previous methods, offering better integration with life history theory and selective neutrality.
The findings suggest that population size and selection dynamics are intricately linked to mortality and turnover rates.