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Related Concept Videos

Types of Selection01:46

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...
Background and Environment Affect Phenotype02:27

Background and Environment Affect Phenotype

Although the genetic makeup of an organism plays a major role in determining the phenotype, there are also several environmental factors, such as temperature, oxygen availability, presence of mutagens, that can alter an organism’s phenotype.
An example of how genetic background affects phenotype can be seen in horses. The Extension gene in horses is responsible for their coat color. A wild-type gene (EE) produces black pigment in the coat, while a mutant gene (ee) produces red pigment. A...
Frequency-dependent Selection01:21

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...
Mate Choice01:20

Mate Choice

Mate choice—the decision about whom to mate with—is a type of natural selection, since animals must reproduce to pass down their genes. Mate choice is also called intersexual selection because the behavior occurs between the sexes.
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,...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 2, 2026

Assessing Differences in Sperm Competitive Ability in Drosophila
09:34

Assessing Differences in Sperm Competitive Ability in Drosophila

Published on: August 22, 2013

Sexual selection and temporal phenotypic variation in a damselfly population.

D B Steele1, A M Siepielski, M A McPeek

  • 1Department of Biological Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH, USA.

Journal of Evolutionary Biology
|May 17, 2011
PubMed
Summary

Temporal variation in sexual selection on damselfly body size depends on changes in both fitness landscapes and the distribution of phenotypes. Understanding these factors is key to explaining shifts in evolutionary pressures.

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Area of Science:

  • Evolutionary Biology
  • Behavioral Ecology
  • Quantitative Genetics

Background:

  • Temporal variation in selection is driven by shifts in fitness landscapes or phenotypic distributions.
  • Sexual selection on body size in damselflies provides a model for studying these dynamics.
  • Understanding selection requires analyzing both fitness surfaces and phenotype distributions over time.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the causes of temporal variation in sexual selection on body size in Enallagma aspersum.
  • To differentiate the roles of fitness surface changes versus phenotypic distribution changes in driving selection.
  • To provide a comprehensive framework for inferring selection dynamics.

Main Methods:

  • Within- and between-generation sampling of fitness surfaces and phenotypic distributions over two years.
  • Analysis of body size distributions in male and female damselflies.
  • Quantification of directional and stabilizing selection on male body size.

Main Results:

  • Directional selection on male body size occurred when average male and female sizes differed significantly.
  • Stabilizing selection was observed when size distributions overlapped and variance was large.
  • No significant selection was detected when size distributions overlapped and variance was small.

Conclusions:

  • Temporal variation in selection form is explained by concurrent changes in fitness surfaces and phenotype distributions.
  • Accounting for both fitness and phenotypic dynamics is essential for accurate inference of selection.
  • This study highlights the complexity of evolutionary processes in natural populations.