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Related Concept Videos

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...
Conservation of Declining Populations02:07

Conservation of Declining Populations

Conservation of declining population focuses on ways of detecting, diagnosing, and halting a population decline. The approach uses methods to prevent populations from going extinct.
Threats to Biodiversity01:50

Threats to Biodiversity

There have been five major extinction events throughout geological history, resulting in the elimination of biodiversity, followed by a rebound of species that adapted to the new conditions. In the current geological epoch, the Holocene, there is a sixth extinction event in progress. This mass extinction has been attributed to human activities and is thus provisionally called the Anthropocene. In 2019 the human population reached 7.7 billion people and is projected to comprise 10 billion by...
Propagation of Uncertainty from Systematic Error01:10

Propagation of Uncertainty from Systematic Error

The atomic mass of an element varies due to the relative ratio of its isotopes. A sample's relative proportion of oxygen isotopes influences its average atomic mass. For instance, if we were to measure the atomic mass of oxygen from a sample, the mass would be a weighted average of the isotopic masses of oxygen in that sample. Since a single sample is not likely to perfectly reflect the true atomic mass of oxygen for all the molecules of oxygen on Earth, the mass we obtain from this particular...
Genetic Drift03:33

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...
Habitat Fragmentation02:31

Habitat Fragmentation

Habitat fragmentation describes the division of a more extensive, continuous habitat into smaller, discontinuous areas. Human activities such as land conversion, as well as slower geological processes leading to changes in the physical environment, are the two leading causes of habitat fragmentation. The fragmentation process typically follows the same steps: perforation, dissection, fragmentation, shrinkage, and attrition.

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Updated: Jun 13, 2026

Errors as a Means of Reducing Impulsive Food Choice
07:07

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Published on: June 5, 2016

Pathways to extinction: beyond the error threshold.

Susanna C Manrubia1, Esteban Domingo, Ester Lázaro

  • 1Centro de Astrobiología, INTA-CSIC, Ctra. de Ajalvir km. 4, 28850 Torrejón de Ardoz, Madrid, Spain. scmanrubia@cab.inta-csic.es

Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological Sciences
|May 19, 2010
PubMed
Summary

Viral extinction is more complex than previously thought, occurring through multiple diverse pathways beyond just increased mutation rates. Understanding viral evolution requires considering factors like compensatory mutations and environmental influences.

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Area of Science:

  • Molecular evolution
  • Virology
  • Genetics

Background:

  • The quasispecies and error catastrophe concepts explain viral molecular evolution.
  • Increased mutagenesis is a strategy to reduce viral infectivity.
  • Viral populations are complex, exhibiting extinction beyond simple error thresholds.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To explore diverse extinction pathways in viral populations.
  • To highlight the limitations of solely focusing on error thresholds for viral extinction.
  • To emphasize the need for comprehensive models of viral evolution.

Main Methods:

  • Review and synthesis of current models of viral evolution.
  • Analysis of factors influencing viral extinction.
  • Consideration of genotype-to-phenotype mapping and fitness landscapes.

Main Results:

  • Viral extinction can occur through multiple, diverse pathways.
  • Increased mutation rates can lead to defective viral forms and compensatory mechanisms.
  • Realistic models must account for compensatory and lethal mutations, genotype-phenotype redundancy, and environmental factors.

Conclusions:

  • Viral extinction is a multifaceted process.
  • Current models are evolving to incorporate greater biological realism.
  • Environmental context is crucial for understanding viral adaptation and extinction.