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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...
Genetics of Speciation02:16

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...
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.
Competition02:34

Competition

When organisms require the same limited resources within an environment, they may have to compete for them. Competition is a net-negative interaction. Even if two competing individuals or populations do not interact directly, the overall fitness of both competitors is lowered as a result of not having full access to the limited resource.Intraspecific competition, which occurs between individuals of the same species, serves as a natural mechanism for regulating population size. Too much...
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,...
Natural Selection and Mating Preferences01:06

Natural Selection and Mating Preferences

The principle of natural selection posits that organisms better adapted to their environment are more likely to survive and reproduce. This principle is closely intertwined with mating preferences, a key aspect of sexual selection, which evolutionary psychologists believe is driven by instincts to propagate one's genes. Such instincts significantly influence mating behaviors and preferences between genders.
Females, due to their biological roles in conception, pregnancy, and nursing, inherently...

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Daily Transfers, Archiving Populations, and Measuring Fitness in the Long-Term Evolution Experiment with Escherichia coli
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Constraints on arms races in coevolution.

J N Thompson1

  • 1John Thompson is at the Departments of Botany and Zoology, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99164, USA.

Trends in Ecology & Evolution
|January 14, 2011
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Coevolutionary studies have evolved from describing species adaptations to analyzing patterns and processes. Research on predator-prey and host-parasite interactions reveals constraints influencing coevolutionary rates and directions.

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Area of Science:

  • Evolutionary Biology
  • Ecology

Background:

  • Coevolutionary studies have advanced from descriptive to analytical approaches.
  • Interactions like predator-prey and host-parasite are key areas of coevolution research.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To analyze the patterns and processes of coevolutionary change.
  • To investigate constraints affecting coevolutionary rates and directions in interacting species.

Main Methods:

  • Review of existing coevolutionary studies.
  • Analysis of patterns in predator-prey, parasite-host, and grazer-grazed interactions.

Main Results:

  • Coevolutionary science now focuses on analytical methods.
  • Observed constraints impact the speed and trajectory of coevolutionary change.

Conclusions:

  • Coevolutionary research has matured into an analytical discipline.
  • Constraints play a significant role in shaping coevolutionary dynamics across various species interactions.