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Related Concept Videos

Evolution of New Traits in Microbes01:24

Evolution of New Traits in Microbes

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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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Transduction01:16

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Among the three main modes of HGT—transformation, conjugation, and transduction—transduction is unique in that it is mediated by bacteriophages, or bacterial viruses.Transduction occurs in two ways. Generalized transduction occurs during the lytic cycle of a bacteriophage infection. In this process, bacteriophages infect bacterial cells, replicate within them, and ultimately cause cell lysis, releasing newly assembled virions. Occasionally, random fragments of the bacterial genome...
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Natural Selection and Adaptation01:15

Natural Selection and Adaptation

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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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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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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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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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Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 1, 2026

Resurrection of Dormant Daphnia magna: Protocol and Applications
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Nutrient-dependent/pheromone-controlled adaptive evolution: a model.

James Vaughn Kohl1

  • 1Medical Laboratory Scientist (ASCP), Epworth, Georgia, USA.

Socioaffective Neuroscience & Psychology
|April 3, 2014
PubMed
Summary

Chemical ecology influences mammalian evolution and behavior. Nutrients and pheromones epigenetically shape reproductive and ingestive behaviors by altering gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) and luteinizing hormone (LH) pathways.

Keywords:
adaptationevolvemetabolismnutritionodors

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Using an Adapted Microfluidic Olfactory Chip for the Imaging of Neuronal Activity in Response to Pheromones in Male C. Elegans Head Neurons
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Area of Science:

  • Neuroendocrinology
  • Chemical Ecology
  • Evolutionary Biology

Background:

  • Prenatal migration of gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) neurons is modulated by nutrients and pheromones.
  • This modulation influences the development of neuroendocrine, reproductive, and central nervous systems, impacting ingestive and reproductive behaviors.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To detail a model where chemical ecology drives adaptive evolution through niche construction.
  • To exemplify epigenetic effects of pheromonal conditioning on mammalian behavior and reproduction.

Main Methods:

  • Ecological, social, neurogenic, and socio-cognitive niche construction models.
  • Analysis of epigenetic effects of olfactory/pheromonal conditioning on behavior.
  • Investigation of luteinizing hormone (LH) and systems biology in pheromone-controlled reproduction.

Main Results:

  • Nutrients metabolize into pheromones that condition behavior, similar to food odors.
  • Olfactory/pheromonal input epigenetically calibrates gene expression in GnRH neurons.
  • Glucose and pheromones affect hypothalamic secretion of GnRH and LH, influencing reproductive processes.

Conclusions:

  • Environmental drives evolved from nutrient ingestion to pheromone-controlled socialization.
  • In mammals, food odors and pheromones alter hormones like LH, impacting sexual behavior development.
  • Hormonal changes influence pheromone-controlled sexual behavior in reproductively fit vertebrates.