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Related Concept Videos

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...
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.
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,...
Gene Evolution - Fast or Slow?02:05

Gene Evolution - Fast or Slow?

The genomes of eukaryotes are punctuated by long stretches of sequence which do not code for proteins or RNAs. Although some of these regions do contain crucial regulatory sequences, the vast majority of this DNA serves no known function. Typically, these regions of the genome are the ones in which the fastest change, in evolutionary terms, is observed, because there is typically little to no selection pressure acting on these regions to preserve their sequences.
In contrast, regions which code...
Gene Evolution - Fast or Slow?02:05

Gene Evolution - Fast or Slow?

The genomes of eukaryotes are punctuated by long stretches of sequence which do not code for proteins or RNAs. Although some of these regions do contain crucial regulatory sequences, the vast majority of this DNA serves no known function. Typically, these regions of the genome are the ones in which the fastest change, in evolutionary terms, is observed, because there is typically little to no selection pressure acting on these regions to preserve their sequences.
In contrast, regions which code...
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...

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

Stochastic slowdown in evolutionary processes.

Philipp M Altrock1, Chaitanya S Gokhale, Arne Traulsen

  • 1Emmy-Noether Group for Evolutionary Dynamics, Department of Evolutionary Ecology, Max-Planck-Institute for Evolutionary Biology, August-Thienemann-Str 2, D-24306 Plön, Germany. altrock@evolbio.mpg.de

Physical Review. E, Statistical, Nonlinear, and Soft Matter Physics
|September 28, 2010
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Even with a fitness advantage, advantageous mutants can take longer to invade populations. This study reveals a surprising "stochastic slowdown" in evolutionary processes like the Moran process.

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Area of Science:

  • Evolutionary biology
  • Mathematical biology
  • Population genetics

Background:

  • Birth-death processes model population dynamics with state-dependent transitions.
  • Selection introduces bias in transition probabilities when fitness differs between types.
  • Understanding fixation times for advantageous mutants is crucial in evolutionary theory.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the average time for advantageous mutants to take over a population.
  • To analyze the impact of selection bias on fixation times in finite populations.
  • To explore the phenomenon of increased fixation times despite a fitness advantage.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of birth-death processes with absorbing boundaries.
  • Examination of the Moran process with state-dependent transition probabilities.
  • Development of a simplified model for intuitive understanding.
  • Consideration of the Wright-Fisher model to assess generality.

Main Results:

  • The average time for advantageous mutant fixation can unexpectedly increase.
  • This stochastic slowdown occurs with weak, non-vanishing selection bias.
  • The scaling of this effect with system size is inferred.
  • The phenomenon is not exclusive to birth-death processes, also observed in the Wright-Fisher model.

Conclusions:

  • Selection can paradoxically slow down the fixation of advantageous mutants.
  • Weak selection can lead to counterintuitive dynamics in evolutionary processes.
  • The findings have implications for understanding molecular evolution and adaptation in finite populations.