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Related Concept Videos

Mutation, Gene Flow, and Genetic Drift01:09

Mutation, Gene Flow, and Genetic Drift

In a population that is not at Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium, the frequency of alleles changes over time. Therefore, any deviations from the five conditions of Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium can alter the genetic variation of a given population. Conditions that change the genetic variability of a population include mutations, natural selection, non-random mating, gene flow, and genetic drift (small population size).Mechanisms of Genetic VariationThe original sources of genetic variation are mutations,...
Types of Selection01:46

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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...
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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.
Evolution of New Traits in Microbes01:24

Evolution of New Traits in Microbes

Microorganisms evolve rapidly due to their large population sizes and short generation times, often exhibiting measurable changes within days under laboratory conditions. Natural selection acts on standing genetic variation, enabling the retention and amplification of beneficial traits that confer fitness advantages in changing environments.Adaptive Pigment Regulation in RhodobacterIn Rhodobacter, a genus of purple non-sulfur bacteria, light-harvesting pigments such as bacteriochlorophyll and...
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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...
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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...

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

Evolution of variation and variability under fluctuating, stabilizing, and disruptive selection.

Christophe Pélabon1, Thomas F Hansen, Ashley J R Carter

  • 1Department of Biology, Center for Conservation Biology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, 7491 Trondheim, Norway. christophe.pelabon@bio.ntnu.no

Evolution; International Journal of Organic Evolution
|March 5, 2010
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Selection impacts genetic variation differently. Disruptive selection increases variation, while fluctuating and stabilizing selection decrease it, yet within-individual variation consistently rises across all regimes in fruit flies.

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Area of Science:

  • Evolutionary biology
  • Developmental genetics
  • Quantitative genetics

Background:

  • The evolutionary response of variation to selection is not fully understood.
  • Canalization and developmental stability are key variational properties debated under different selection regimes.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate how different selection regimes affect among- and within-individual variation.
  • To analyze the evolutionary response of phenotypic variation and developmental stability.

Main Methods:

  • Populations of Drosophila melanogaster were subjected to fluctuating, disruptive, and stabilizing selection for over 20 generations.
  • Wing shape and size variation were analyzed, alongside within-individual variation using fluctuating asymmetry.
  • Directional asymmetry was also assessed across traits and treatments.

Main Results:

  • Disruptive selection significantly increased phenotypic variation in wing shape but not size.
  • Fluctuating and stabilizing selection consistently reduced phenotypic variation for all analyzed traits.
  • Within-individual variation, measured by fluctuating asymmetry, increased under all selection regimes.

Conclusions:

  • Canalization and developmental stability appear to be evolvable traits, likely controlled by distinct genetic mechanisms.
  • The observed evolutionary responses in variation are not consistently adaptive.
  • Selection influenced directional asymmetry, but these effects varied across traits and treatments.