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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...
Fixed Action Patterns01:06

Fixed Action Patterns

A fixed action pattern (FAP) is a specific, hard-wired sequence of behaviors that occurs in response to an external stimulus, called a sign stimulus. The behavior is “fixed” because it is essentially unchangeable—proceeding similarly across individuals of a species every time it occurs.
Mate Choice01:20

Mate Choice

Mate choice—the decision about whom to mate with—is a type of natural selection, since animals must reproduce to pass down their genes. Mate choice is also called intersexual selection because the behavior occurs between the sexes.
Speciation Rates01:07

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.
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...
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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Microinjection for Transgenesis and Genome Editing in Threespine Sticklebacks
08:51

Microinjection for Transgenesis and Genome Editing in Threespine Sticklebacks

Published on: May 13, 2016

Selection and sticklebacks.

Mark A Beaumont1

  • 1School of Biological Sciences, University of Reading, Reading RG6 6BX, UK. m.a.beaumont@reading.ac.uk

Molecular Ecology
|January 23, 2009
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Researchers investigated genetic differentiation in three-spined stickleback populations. They found evidence of natural selection acting on specific gene loci, particularly the Eda gene, influencing lateral plate development.

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Area of Science:

  • Evolutionary genetics
  • Population genetics

Background:

  • Molecular genetic surveys increasingly provide evidence for natural selection acting on genomes.
  • Identifying loci with high/low genetic differentiation or low genetic diversity is crucial in nonmodel organisms.
  • The study focuses on the three-spined stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus) to investigate genome-wide selection signatures.

Discussion:

  • Microsatellite and indel markers near the Eda gene show significantly higher genetic differentiation, suggesting local selection.
  • The Eda gene is known to control lateral plate number, a key adaptive trait in sticklebacks.
  • Two additional independent candidate loci for local selection were identified.

Key Insights:

  • A microsatellite locus and indel markers in the Eda gene intron exhibit strong genetic differentiation, consistent with local selection.
  • The findings suggest that up to 15% of surveyed loci may show evidence of balancing selection.
  • This study highlights the utility of population genetic surveys in detecting selection in natural populations.

Outlook:

  • Further research can explore the specific selective pressures driving differentiation at the Eda gene.
  • Investigating the functional consequences of balancing selection across the stickleback genome is warranted.
  • Comparative studies across different stickleback populations can reveal broader patterns of adaptation.