Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Synteny and Evolution02:31

Synteny and Evolution

John H. Renwick first coined the term “synteny” in 1971, which refers to the genes present on the same chromosomes, even if they are not genetically linked. The species with common ancestry tend to show conserved syntenic regions. Therefore, the concept of synteny is nowadays used to describe the evolutionary relationship between species.
Around 80 million years ago, the human and mice lineages diverged from the common ancestor. During the course of evolution, the ancestral chromosome underwent...
Evolutionary Psychology01:20

Evolutionary Psychology

Evolutionary psychology explores the origins of human behavior and mental processes by framing them within the context of natural selection, a theory famously propounded by Charles Darwin. This field asserts that many behaviors common across human societies — ranging from instinctive fear reactions to complex social interactions — arose as evolutionary adaptations. These adaptations enhanced the survival and reproductive success of our ancestors, thereby becoming embedded in the human psyche...
Criticisms of the Evolutionary Perspective01:23

Criticisms of the Evolutionary Perspective

In a study where individuals posing as strangers offered compliments and proposed casual sex to students, the responses differed significantly based on gender. Not a single woman accepted the proposal, while 70% of the men agreed. This outcome provides a useful scenario to explore through the lens of evolutionary psychology and social learning theory, highlighting the diverse perspectives on human sexual behaviors.
Evolutionary psychology provides one explanation for these findings, suggesting...
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...
The Evidence for Evolution02:55

The Evidence for Evolution

Genetic variations accumulating within populations over generations give rise to biological evolution. Evolutionary changes can result in the formation of novel varieties and entire new species. These changes are responsible for the diverse forms of life inhabiting the planet. The evidence for evolution suggests that all living organisms descended from common ancestors.The collection of fossils within sedimentary rocks give a record of common ancestry and often depicts the history of evolution.
Convergent Evolution01:54

Convergent Evolution

Evolution shapes the features of organisms over time, ensuring that they are suited for the environments in which they live. Sometimes, selection pressure leads to the rise of similar but unrelated adaptations in organisms with no recent common ancestors, a process known as convergent evolution.The structures that arise from convergent evolution are called analogous structures. They are similar in function even if they are dissimilar in structure. Further, structures can be analogous while also...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Molecular phylogenetic inference of the howler monkey radiation (Primates: Alouatta).

Primates; journal of primatology·2020
Same author

Demic and cultural diffusion in prehistoric Europe in the age of ancient genomes.

Evolutionary anthropology·2017
Same author

Molecular evolution of a malaria resistance gene (DARC) in primates.

Immunogenetics·2012
Same author

Coalescent analysis of mtDNA indicates Pleistocene divergence among three species of howler monkey (Alouatta spp.) and population subdivision within the Atlantic Coastal Forest species, A. guariba.

Primates; journal of primatology·2010
Same author

The molecular signature of selection underlying human adaptations.

American journal of physical anthropology·2006
Same author

Evolutionary explanations in medical and health profession courses: are you answering your students' "why" questions?

BMC medical education·2005
Same journal

A geometric morphometric assessment of shape variation in adult pelvic morphology.

American journal of physical anthropology·2021
Same journal

Corrigendum: Infanticide in chimpanzees: Taphonomic case studies from Gombe.

American journal of physical anthropology·2021
Same journal

Sexual dimorphism in the size and shape of the non-obstetric pelvis across anthropoids.

American journal of physical anthropology·2021
Same journal

The biological index of frailty: A new index for the assessment of frailty in human skeletal remains.

American journal of physical anthropology·2021
Same journal

Mass violence in Copper Age Europe: The massacre burial site from Potočani, Croatia.

American journal of physical anthropology·2021
Same journal

Skeletal evidence of structural violence among undocumented migrants from Mexico and Central America.

American journal of physical anthropology·2021
See all related articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 6, 2026

Dissecting the Non-human Primate Brain in Stereotaxic Space
09:09

Dissecting the Non-human Primate Brain in Stereotaxic Space

Published on: July 16, 2009

Nonadaptive processes in primate and human evolution.

Eugene E Harris1

  • 1Department of Biological Sciences and Geology, Queensborough Community College, City University of New York, Bayside, NY 10364, USA. eharris@qcc.cuny.edu

American Journal of Physical Anthropology
|November 19, 2010
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Nonadaptive processes like genetic drift significantly shaped primate and human evolution, outweighing positive selection. This review highlights evidence for relaxed constraints and increased fixation of slightly deleterious mutations, impacting evolutionary trajectories.

More Related Videos

Reverse Dissection and DiceCT Reveal Otherwise Hidden Data in the Evolution of the Primate Face
08:15

Reverse Dissection and DiceCT Reveal Otherwise Hidden Data in the Evolution of the Primate Face

Published on: January 7, 2019

Generation and Maintenance of Primate Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells Derived from Urine
07:46

Generation and Maintenance of Primate Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells Derived from Urine

Published on: July 28, 2023

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jun 6, 2026

Dissecting the Non-human Primate Brain in Stereotaxic Space
09:09

Dissecting the Non-human Primate Brain in Stereotaxic Space

Published on: July 16, 2009

Reverse Dissection and DiceCT Reveal Otherwise Hidden Data in the Evolution of the Primate Face
08:15

Reverse Dissection and DiceCT Reveal Otherwise Hidden Data in the Evolution of the Primate Face

Published on: January 7, 2019

Generation and Maintenance of Primate Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells Derived from Urine
07:46

Generation and Maintenance of Primate Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells Derived from Urine

Published on: July 28, 2023

Area of Science:

  • Evolutionary Biology
  • Genetics
  • Primate Evolution
  • Human Evolution

Background:

  • Traditional evolutionary biology emphasizes adaptive evolution via positive selection.
  • Nonadaptive evolutionary processes, such as random genetic drift and mutation, are often underestimated.
  • Primate and human evolution may have been significantly influenced by these nonadaptive forces.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review evidence for the strong influence of nonadaptive processes on primate and human evolution.
  • To explore the mechanisms and consequences of genetic drift and mutation in shaping evolutionary trajectories.
  • To examine the impact of reduced effective population size on the balance between selection and drift.

Main Methods:

  • Review of existing literature on evolutionary biology, genetics, and paleontology.
  • Analysis of genetic data from protein-coding and regulatory regions.
  • Examination of gene expression data and large-scale genomic mutations (gene duplications, mobile elements).
  • Comparison of morphological change rates in populations with reduced effective population size.

Main Results:

  • Evidence indicates a relaxation of selective constraints (purifying selection) in primate and human evolution.
  • Increased fixation of slightly deleterious mutations and reduced efficacy of positive selection observed.
  • Large-scale mutations (gene duplications, mobile elements) show increased fixation rates.
  • Reduced effective population size (N(e)) is proposed as a unifying explanation, favoring genetic drift.

Conclusions:

  • Nonadaptive processes, particularly genetic drift, play a crucial role in primate and human evolution.
  • Increased fixation of slightly deleterious mutations may drive compensatory evolution and novel gene functions.
  • Morphological evolution, including human craniofacial development, may shift towards neutral rates under reduced selective constraint.