Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Related Concept Videos

Frequency-dependent Selection

Frequency-dependent Selection

When the fitness of a trait is influenced by how common it is (i.e., its frequency) relative to different traits within a population, this is referred to as frequency-dependent selection. Frequency-dependent selection may occur between species or within a single species. This type of selection can either be positive—with more common phenotypes having higher fitness—or negative, with rarer phenotypes conferring increased fitness.Positive Frequency-Dependent SelectionIn positive...

Pollination and Flower Structure

Pollination and Flower Structure

Flowers are the reproductive, seed-producing structures of angiosperms. Typically, flowers consist of sepals, petals, stamens, and carpels. Sepals and petals are the vegetative flower organs. Stamens and carpels are the reproductive organs.

Types of Selection

Types of Selection

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...

Genetics of Speciation

Genetics of Speciation

Speciation is the evolutionary process resulting in the formation of new, distinct species—groups of reproductively isolated populations.The genetics of speciation involves the different traits or isolating mechanisms preventing gene exchange, leading to reproductive isolation. Reproductive isolation can be due to reproductive barriers that have effects either before or after the formation of a zygote. Pre-zygotic mechanisms prevent fertilization from occurring, and post-zygotic mechanisms...

Formation of Species

Formation of Species

Speciation describes the formation of one or more new species from one or sometimes multiple original species. The resulting species are discrete from the parent species, and barriers to reproduction will typically exist. There are two primary mechanisms, speciation with and without geographic isolation—allopatric and sympatric speciation, respectively.Allopatric SpeciationIn allopatric speciation, gene flow between two populations of the same species is prevented by a geographic barrier, like...

What is Natural Selection?

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...

You might also read

Related Articles

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

Sort by

Same author

Nature-based solutions and indigenous knowledge for sustainable biological control.

Current opinion in insect science·2026

Same author

Intercrop-mediated inducibility affects direct defenses and plant resistance but not indirect defenses in maize.

Frontiers in plant science·2026

Same author

Functional uncoupling of the induced defense-competitive growth trade-off.

The New phytologist·2026

Same author

Insect frass fertilizer upregulates maize defence genes and resistance against an invasive herbivore pest.

Scientific reports·2025

Same author

Detecting the enemy or being manipulated by your attacker? Herbivore-derived elicitors of plant responses: an introduction to a Virtual Issue.

The New phytologist·2025

Same author

Biochar shifts balance between hydrophilic and lipophilic molecules in root exudates.

Bioresource technology·2025

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 6, 2026

Field Experiments of Pollination Ecology: The Case of Lycoris sanguinea var. sanguinea

Field Experiments of Pollination Ecology: The Case of Lycoris sanguinea var. sanguinea

Published on: November 25, 2016

Pollinator-mediated natural selection in Penstemon digitalis.

Amy Parachnowitsch¹, André Kessler

¹Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA. alp43@cornell.edu

Plant Signaling & Behavior

|December 15, 2010

Summary

Bee pollinators drive natural selection for larger and more numerous flowers in Penstemon digitalis. This study confirms pollinators are key agents of selection on floral traits in plant populations.

More Related Videos

A High-Resolution, Single-Grain, In Vivo Pollen Hydration Bioassay for Arabidopsis thaliana

A High-Resolution, Single-Grain, In Vivo Pollen Hydration Bioassay for Arabidopsis thaliana

Published on: June 30, 2023

Rearing the Cabbage White Butterfly (Pieris rapae) in Controlled Conditions: A Case Study with Heavy Metal Tolerance

Rearing the Cabbage White Butterfly (Pieris rapae) in Controlled Conditions: A Case Study with Heavy Metal Tolerance

Published on: August 18, 2023

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jun 6, 2026

Field Experiments of Pollination Ecology: The Case of Lycoris sanguinea var. sanguinea

Field Experiments of Pollination Ecology: The Case of Lycoris sanguinea var. sanguinea

Published on: November 25, 2016

A High-Resolution, Single-Grain, In Vivo Pollen Hydration Bioassay for Arabidopsis thaliana

A High-Resolution, Single-Grain, In Vivo Pollen Hydration Bioassay for Arabidopsis thaliana

Published on: June 30, 2023

Rearing the Cabbage White Butterfly (Pieris rapae) in Controlled Conditions: A Case Study with Heavy Metal Tolerance

Rearing the Cabbage White Butterfly (Pieris rapae) in Controlled Conditions: A Case Study with Heavy Metal Tolerance

Published on: August 18, 2023

Area of Science:

Ecology
Evolutionary Biology
Plant Sciences

Background:

Understanding natural selection agents is crucial for predicting trait evolution.
Pollinators are often assumed to be agents of selection on floral traits in animal-pollinated plants.
Floral traits are hypothesized to advertise rewards to attract pollinators.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the role of bee pollinators as agents of selection on floral traits in Penstemon digitalis.
To compare selection pressures on floral traits with and without pollinator activity.
To synthesize findings with existing literature on pollinator-mediated selection.

Main Methods:

Field study on Penstemon digitalis focusing on bee pollinator interactions.
Experimental removal of pollinators to assess their impact on selection.
Comparative analysis of floral trait selection in the presence and absence of pollinators.

Main Results:

Bee pollinators were identified as significant drivers of selection for increased flower size and number.
Selection on floral traits was demonstrably stronger when pollinators were present compared to when experimentally removed.
A review of other studies corroborated the significant role of pollinators in mediating selection on floral traits.

Conclusions:

Pollinators are important agents of natural selection on floral traits in contemporary plant populations.
The study provides empirical evidence for pollinator-driven evolution in floral characteristics.
Findings highlight the ecological significance of plant-pollinator interactions in shaping plant evolution.