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Related Concept Videos

Morphogenesis02:19

Morphogenesis

Plant morphogenesis—the development of a plant’s form and structure—involves several overlapping developmental processes, including growth and cell differentiation. Precursor cells differentiate into specific cell types, which are organized into the tissues and organ systems that make up the functional plant.
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Speciation Rates

Speciation can proceed at markedly different rates, and evolutionary biologists commonly describe these differences through the models of gradualism and punctuated equilibrium. Both patterns explain how new species arise, but they differ in the tempo and continuity of evolutionary change. In both cases, evolutionary change arises from heritable variation within populations, with natural selection often shaping traits that improve survival and reproduction under specific environmental conditions.
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...
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Background and Environment Affect Phenotype

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Limits to Natural Selection

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 26, 2026

Methods for Staging Pupal Periods and Measurement of Wing Pigmentation of Drosophila guttifera
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Published on: January 24, 2018

Patterns of threshold evolution in polyphenic insects under different developmental models.

Joseph L Tomkins1, Armin P Moczek

  • 1The Centre for Evolutionary Biology, School of Animal Biology, University of Western Australia, Crawley 6009, Western Australia, Australia. jtomkins@cyllene.uwa.edu.au

Evolution; International Journal of Organic Evolution
|January 22, 2009
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Insect polyphenism evolves through linked developmental pathways, not independent ones. Even minor trait variations in males correlate with major morph thresholds, suggesting alternative forms are developmentally coupled.

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A Precise and Autonomous System for the Detection of Insect Emergence Patterns
06:22

A Precise and Autonomous System for the Detection of Insect Emergence Patterns

Published on: January 9, 2019

Area of Science:

  • Evolutionary biology
  • Developmental biology
  • Insect morphology

Background:

  • Polyphenic traits in insects evolve via two main hypotheses: developmental reprogramming (threshold model) and continuous reaction norm (allometry model).
  • The threshold model posits independent evolution of alternative morphs, while the allometry model suggests coupled evolution.
  • Understanding the developmental basis of polyphenism is crucial for explaining morphological diversity.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To test whether continuous reaction norm polyphenisms evolve via changes in allometric parameters of minimally expressed traits.
  • To investigate if threshold polyphenisms evolve independently of parameters in individuals below the threshold.
  • To determine if alternative morphs evolve independently or are developmentally coupled.

Main Methods:

  • Comparative analysis of allometric parameters in two insect species: dung beetle (Onthophagus taurus) and earwig (Forficula auricularia).
  • Examining variation in horn (O. taurus) and forceps (F. auricularia) allometry across different populations.
  • Correlating allometric parameters of minor males with population-level thresholds for alternative morphs.

Main Results:

  • Variation in minor male allometry (horns or forceps) was correlated with population thresholds in both species.
  • Findings indicate that allometric parameters of minimally expressed traits are linked to population thresholds.
  • The study found correlations between minor male allometry and population thresholds regardless of the hypothesized developmental mode.

Conclusions:

  • Alternative morphs in polyphenic insects do not evolve independently, irrespective of their developmental mode (threshold vs. continuous reaction norm).
  • Developmental coupling between alternative morphs is a key factor in the evolution of polyphenism.
  • This study challenges the notion of independent selection acting on alternative morphs in polyphenic species.