Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Natural Selection and Mating Preferences01:06

Natural Selection and Mating Preferences

881
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,...
881
Types of Selection01:46

Types of Selection

37.5K
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...
37.5K
Mate Choice01:20

Mate Choice

8.3K
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.
8.3K
Frequency-dependent Selection01:21

Frequency-dependent Selection

20.2K
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.
20.2K
What is Natural Selection?01:32

What is Natural Selection?

107.3K
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.
107.3K
Limits to Natural Selection01:38

Limits to Natural Selection

30.0K
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.
30.0K

You might also read

Related Articles

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

Sort by
Same author

Environmental impacts on the insect exoskeleton.

Integrative and comparative biology·2026
Same author

The origin, genomics and evolution of female-limited polymorphisms.

Philosophical transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological sciences·2026
Same author

Macroevolution of Steep Interspecific Metabolic Allometry in an Old Insect Order.

Ecology letters·2026
Same author

Toward an integrated understanding of animal weapons.

Trends in ecology & evolution·2026
Same author

Adult nutrition strongly affects insect cuticle thickness and injury resistance.

Journal of the Royal Society, Interface·2026
Same author

Infrared thermography is a useful tool in research on thermoregulation and evolution of heat tolerance.

Evolution letters·2025

Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 6, 2026

Manipulation of Color Patterns in Jumping Spiders for Use in Behavioral Experiments
09:03

Manipulation of Color Patterns in Jumping Spiders for Use in Behavioral Experiments

Published on: May 21, 2019

11.3K

Sexual selection in complex environments.

Christine W Miller1, Erik I Svensson

  • 1Department of Entomology and Nematology, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 32611;

Annual Review of Entomology
|October 29, 2013
PubMed
Summary

Sexual selection drives insect diversity, but ecological complexity is often overlooked. New research highlights the need to integrate environmental dynamics into sexual selection theory for a more complete understanding.

Area of Science:

  • Evolutionary Biology
  • Ecology
  • Animal Behavior

Background:

  • Sexual selection drives the evolution of diverse insect traits like colors, structures, and pheromones.
  • These traits develop in dynamic environments with rapid spatial and temporal changes.
  • Ecological complexity has only recently been incorporated into sexual selection theory.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review replicated selection studies and variation in selection agents.
  • To identify knowledge gaps and propose new research directions in sexual selection.
  • To explore the impact of ecological complexity on sexual selection dynamics.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review of replicated selection studies.
  • Analysis of studies on variation in agents of sexual selection.

More Related Videos

Assessing Differences in Sperm Competitive Ability in Drosophila
09:34

Assessing Differences in Sperm Competitive Ability in Drosophila

Published on: August 22, 2013

14.2K
Using the FishSim Animation Toolchain to Investigate Fish Behavior: A Case Study on Mate-Choice Copying In Sailfin Mollies
10:50

Using the FishSim Animation Toolchain to Investigate Fish Behavior: A Case Study on Mate-Choice Copying In Sailfin Mollies

Published on: November 8, 2018

10.5K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: May 6, 2026

Manipulation of Color Patterns in Jumping Spiders for Use in Behavioral Experiments
09:03

Manipulation of Color Patterns in Jumping Spiders for Use in Behavioral Experiments

Published on: May 21, 2019

11.3K
Assessing Differences in Sperm Competitive Ability in Drosophila
09:34

Assessing Differences in Sperm Competitive Ability in Drosophila

Published on: August 22, 2013

14.2K
Using the FishSim Animation Toolchain to Investigate Fish Behavior: A Case Study on Mate-Choice Copying In Sailfin Mollies
10:50

Using the FishSim Animation Toolchain to Investigate Fish Behavior: A Case Study on Mate-Choice Copying In Sailfin Mollies

Published on: November 8, 2018

10.5K
  • Synthesis of existing research to identify trends and future avenues.

    • Main Results:

    • Fluctuations in sexual selection appear to be very common.
    • Research on ecological factors influencing these fluctuations is limited.
    • Integrating ecological perspectives can significantly advance sexual selection theory.

    Conclusions:

    • Deeper ecological insights are crucial for understanding sexual selection.
    • Environmental dynamics likely play a significant role in shaping mating preferences and traits.
    • Future research should focus on the interplay between ecology and sexual selection for novel discoveries.