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Related Concept Videos

What is Natural Selection?01:32

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...
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,...
Genetic Drift03:33

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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...
Natural Selection and Adaptation01:15

Natural Selection and Adaptation

Natural selection, a fundamental concept in evolutionary biology, is the mechanism by which evolution is driven, favoring organisms that are best adapted to their environments. This process enhances their chances of survival and reproduction. Adaptation, a key outcome of this process, involves genetic modifications that optimize an organism's functionality under specific environmental challenges, such as extreme cold or thinner air at high altitudes.
Beyond physical adaptations, psychological...
Limits to Natural Selection01:38

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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...
Dihybrid Crosses01:18

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Genetic linkage and natural selection.

N H Barton1

  • 1Institute of Science and Technology, Am Campus 1, A-3400 Klosterneuburg, Austria. nick.barton@ist.ac.at

Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological Sciences
|July 21, 2010
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Recombination

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Area of Science:

  • Evolutionary Biology
  • Genetics
  • Molecular Biology

Background:

  • Recombination's prevalence in eukaryotes is a significant biological puzzle.
  • Hill-Robertson interference (HRI) is a leading hypothesis, suggesting recombination facilitates selection by mitigating negative associations from genetic drift.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To classify the effects of Hill-Robertson interference (HRI) on neutral diversity, adaptation rates, and mutation load.
  • To investigate the roles of deleterious mutations, balancing selection, and selective sweeps in mediating HRI.
  • To explore the drivers of selection for high recombination rates in eukaryotes.

Main Methods:

  • Theoretical classification of HRI effects.
  • Analysis of sequence polymorphism and divergence data.
  • Evaluation of fitness variance generated by different evolutionary forces.

Main Results:

  • HRI effects are primarily mediated by the density of deleterious mutations and selective sweeps.
  • Evidence suggests these factors can cause significant interference even in high-recombination regions.
  • Neither uniformly deleterious mutations nor species-wide sweeps appear sufficient to strongly select for high recombination rates.

Conclusions:

  • Spatial and temporal fluctuations in selection may generate greater fitness variance than previously considered.
  • These fluctuations offer a more plausible explanation for the strong selection favoring high recombination rates in eukaryotes.