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Related Concept Videos

Types of Selection01:46

Types of Selection

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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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Limits to Natural Selection01:38

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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.
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What is Natural Selection?01:32

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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.
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Natural Selection and Adaptation01:15

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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,...
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Natural Selection and Mating Preferences01:06

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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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Frequency-dependent Selection01:21

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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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The Innovation Arena: A Method for Comparing Innovative Problem-Solving Across Groups
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Natural selection can favour 'irrational' behaviour.

J M McNamara1, P C Trimmer, A I Houston

  • 1School of Mathematics, University of Bristol, , University Walk, Bristol BS8 1TW, UK.

Biology Letters
|January 17, 2014
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Behavioral science reveals that maximizing food gain can lead to choices that appear irrational. This occurs because current food options predict future availability, causing violations of transitivity and independence of irrelevant alternatives (IIA).

Keywords:
decision-makingindependence of irrelevant alternativesrate maximizationrationalitytransitivity

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Area of Science:

  • Behavioral science
  • Decision-making theory
  • Animal behavior

Background:

  • Rational choice theory relies on principles like transitivity and independence of irrelevant alternatives (IIA).
  • Empirical evidence shows humans and animals often violate these principles, appearing irrational.
  • Violations of transitivity and IIA challenge the foundations of rational choice theory.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate how maximizing food gain rate can lead to apparent irrationality in decision-making.
  • To explain the mechanisms behind violations of transitivity and independence of irrelevant alternatives (IIA) in foraging behavior.

Main Methods:

  • Modeling individual decision-making under conditions of variable food availability.
  • Analyzing choice patterns to identify violations of rational choice axioms.

Main Results:

  • An individual maximizing its rate of food gain can exhibit failures in transitivity.
  • The independence of irrelevant alternatives (IIA) can be violated when current options signal future availability.
  • Apparent irrationality arises from dynamic changes in option availability and future prospects.

Conclusions:

  • Maximizing food gain can explain seemingly irrational choices in behavioral science.
  • Dynamic foraging strategies, considering future availability, are crucial for understanding decision-making.
  • Apparent violations of rational choice theory may reflect adaptive foraging strategies.