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Related Concept Videos

What is Natural Selection?01:32

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.
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.
Evolution of New Traits in Microbes01:24

Evolution of New Traits in Microbes

Microorganisms evolve rapidly due to their large population sizes and short generation times, often exhibiting measurable changes within days under laboratory conditions. Natural selection acts on standing genetic variation, enabling the retention and amplification of beneficial traits that confer fitness advantages in changing environments.Adaptive Pigment Regulation in RhodobacterIn Rhodobacter, a genus of purple non-sulfur bacteria, light-harvesting pigments such as bacteriochlorophyll and...
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).
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...
Natural Selection and Adaptation01:15

Natural Selection and Adaptation

Natural selection, a fundamental concept in evolutionary biology, is the mechanism by which evolution is driven, favoring organisms that are best adapted to their environments. This process enhances their chances of survival and reproduction. Adaptation, a key outcome of this process, involves genetic modifications that optimize an organism's functionality under specific environmental challenges, such as extreme cold or thinner air at high altitudes.
Beyond physical adaptations, psychological...

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Modularity, noise, and natural selection.

Gabriel Marroig1, Diogo A R Melo, Guilherme Garcia

  • 1Laboratório de Evolução de Mamíferos, Departamento de Genética e Biologia Evolutiva, Instituto de Biociências Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brasil. gmarroig@usp.br

Evolution; International Journal of Organic Evolution
|April 24, 2012
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Biological systems exhibit modularity, leading to complex genetic variation. Noise in data significantly hinders accurate selection gradient analysis, but noise-controlling methods greatly improve results.

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Area of Science:

  • Evolutionary biology
  • Quantitative genetics
  • Bioinformatics

Background:

  • Biological systems often display modularity, where groups of interrelated components function semi-autonomously.
  • Modularity influences the distribution of genetic variation among traits, posing challenges for covariance matrix estimation.
  • Estimating covariance matrices is difficult due to small sample sizes and measurement errors, especially when matrix inversion is needed.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate how modularity and signal-to-noise ratio affect the reconstruction of selection gradients.
  • To evaluate methods for mitigating noise in matrix estimates for improved accuracy.
  • To demonstrate the practical impact of noise on selection gradient analysis using a real-world dataset.

Main Methods:

  • Simulations exploring the effects of varying modularity and signal-to-noise ratios on selection reconstruction.
  • Testing the efficacy of noise-controlling techniques on matrix estimates.
  • Applying noise-controlled methods to a New World Monkeys skull database for selection gradient analysis.

Main Results:

  • Matrix inversion for selection reconstruction is particularly sensitive to noise, exacerbated by system modularity.
  • Noise-controlling methods significantly enhance the accuracy of selection gradient reconstruction in simulations.
  • Analysis of New World Monkeys skulls revealed that noise-controlled estimates yield more biologically plausible interpretations.

Conclusions:

  • Modularity in biological systems complicates the estimation of genetic covariances and selection gradients.
  • Effective noise control in matrix estimation is crucial for reliable evolutionary analyses.
  • The presented noise-controlling methods offer a robust approach for studying selection in complex biological systems.