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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.

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 5, 2026

A Method for Investigating Change Blindness in Pigeons Columba Livia

A Method for Investigating Change Blindness in Pigeons Columba Livia

Published on: September 7, 2018

Selective attention in peacocks during predator detection.

Jessica L Yorzinski¹, Michael L Platt

¹Duke Institute for Brain Sciences, Center for Cognitive Neuroscience, Duke University, Durham, NC, 27710, USA, jyorzinski@purdue.edu.

Animal Cognition

|November 21, 2013

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Peacocks enhance predator detection by focusing visual attention on threats. This study shows how predation shapes avian visual systems and antipredator behaviors, influencing survival strategies.

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Last Updated: May 5, 2026

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Area of Science:

Behavioral Ecology
Avian Visual Systems
Evolutionary Biology

Background:

Predation is a significant evolutionary driver for behavioral and morphological traits in birds.
Avian visual perception is crucial for predator avoidance and survival.
Predation may have influenced the evolution of avian visual systems.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the role of visual attention in antipredator behavior in peacocks (Pavo cristatus).
To understand how peacocks orient their visual attention when exposed to a predator.
To explore the link between predation and the evolution of visual orienting systems in birds.

Main Methods:

Continuous gaze recording using a telemetric eye-tracker in peacocks exposed to a model predator.
Analysis of fixation duration, eye movement amplitudes, and saccade amplitudes before and after predator revelation.
Observation of behavioral responses, including pupil dilation and learning from conspecifics' reactions.

Main Results:

Peacocks significantly increased time spent and fixations on the predator model.
Fixation durations on conspecifics and environmental features decreased, indicating rapid environmental scanning.
Pupil size increased post-predator exposure, suggesting heightened physiological arousal.
Faster predator detection was observed when peacocks' gaze was already oriented toward the threat area.

Conclusions:

Peacocks selectively direct visual attention toward predatory threats.
Predation appears to have shaped the evolution of visual orienting systems in peacocks.
Observing conspecifics' antipredator behavior aids in rapid threat detection.