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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...
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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...
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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.
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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.
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Rugby morphologies: "bigger and taller", reflects an early directional selection.

A Sedeaud1, H Vidalin, M Tafflet

  • 1IRMES (Institute for biomedical and epidemiological research in sport), INSEP, Paris, France. adrien.sedeaud@insep.fr

The Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness
|April 16, 2013
PubMed
Summary

French rugby players, both adult and junior, have significantly increased in height and weight over two decades. This trend towards larger physiques is evident even in young players, indicating early selection for size in the sport.

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Area of Science:

  • Sports Science
  • Anthropometry
  • Human Physiology

Background:

  • Elite rugby players' physical characteristics are crucial for performance.
  • Understanding anthropometric trends in athletes informs training and talent identification.
  • Previous research has indicated a general increase in athlete size across various sports.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate longitudinal changes in anthropometric parameters (height, mass) of French rugby players.
  • To compare these changes across different age categories (adult, junior, U15) and playing positions (backs, forwards).
  • To analyze the evolution of player morphology over a 20-year period.

Main Methods:

  • Data collected from 2051 elite adult, 145 junior, and 448 U15 French rugby players across the 1988-1989 and 2008-2009 seasons.
  • Key anthropometric variables measured: age, mass, and height.
  • Statistical comparison of changes in parameters based on age group, position, and season.

Main Results:

  • Adult male rugby players gained an average of 12 kg and increased height by up to 5.4 cm over 20 years.
  • Junior players also exhibited significant increases in height and weight, with backs gaining 6 cm and 9.9 kg.
  • U15 players showed similar trends, with backs and forwards increasing in height and weight, indicating early development of larger physiques.

Conclusions:

  • French rugby players have become significantly taller and heavier over the past two decades.
  • The observed morphological changes reflect a long-term process of competition and player selection within the sport.
  • The study highlights that the selection for larger body sizes is already established in young, developing rugby players.