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

Multiple Allele Traits01:49

Multiple Allele Traits

32.6K
The Concept of Multiple Allelism
32.6K
Multiple Allele Traits01:49

Multiple Allele Traits

9.1K
9.1K
Evolution of New Traits in Microbes01:24

Evolution of New Traits in Microbes

197
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...
197
Polygenic Traits01:18

Polygenic Traits

58.3K
When more than one gene is responsible for a given phenotype, the trait is considered polygenic. Human height is a polygenic trait. Studies have uncovered hundreds of loci that influence height, and there are believed to be many more. Due to the high number of genes involved, as well as environmental and nutritional factors, height varies significantly within a given population. The distribution of height forms a bell-shaped curve, with relatively few individuals in the population at the...
58.3K
Polygenic Traits01:18

Polygenic Traits

7.1K
7.1K
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

Heatwave winners and losers: cryptic coral holobionts differ in thermal tolerance.

Proceedings. Biological sciences·2026
Same author

Indirect pathogen transmission underlies an emerging infectious fungal disease outbreak in a wild reptile population.

Proceedings. Biological sciences·2026
Same author

Identification of multivariate phenotypes most influenced by mutation: Drosophila serrata wings as a case study.

Evolution; international journal of organic evolution·2025
Same author

Variability of morphology-performance relationships under acute exposure to different temperatures in 3 strains of zebrafish.

Current zoology·2025
Same author

Effects of spontaneous mutations on survival and reproduction of Drosophila serrata infected with Drosophila C virus.

Evolution; international journal of organic evolution·2024
Same author

The Contribution of Mutation to Variation in Temperature-Dependent Sprint Speed in Zebrafish, <i>Danio rerio</i>.

The American naturalist·2023
Same journal

Traffic Reduction during COVID-19 Lockdowns Benefited Species Already Tolerant of Noise Pollution: An Acoustic Analysis.

The American naturalist·2026
Same journal

On Pachycephalosaurs, Trade-Offs, and the Historical Genesis of Sociosexual Display Structures.

The American naturalist·2026
Same journal

Structured Landscapes Promote Persistence by Favoring Prudent Predators.

The American naturalist·2026
Same journal

Can Carbon Economy Explain Leaf Dynamic Seasonality in a Tropical Seasonal Rainforest?

The American naturalist·2026
Same journal

Behavior and Physiology Outpace Form When Linking Traits to Ecological Responses within Populations: A Meta-Analysis.

The American naturalist·2026
Same journal

Seminal Fluid Proteins as Regulation Factors for Optimizing Reproduction: A Modeling Approach.

The American naturalist·2026
See all related articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Apr 28, 2026

A Psychophysics Paradigm for the Collection and Analysis of Similarity Judgments
08:12

A Psychophysics Paradigm for the Collection and Analysis of Similarity Judgments

Published on: March 1, 2022

2.1K

Evolutionary constraints in high-dimensional trait sets.

Emma Hine1, Katrina McGuigan, Mark W Blows

  • 1School of Biological Sciences, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland 4072, Australia.

The American Naturalist
|June 13, 2014
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Evolutionary constraints can arise from limited genetic variation in specific trait combinations. Researchers found that a nearly null genetic subspace restricted evolutionary responses in Drosophila serrata, suggesting a common natural mechanism.

More Related Videos

Probing the Limits of Egg Recognition Using Egg Rejection Experiments Along Phenotypic Gradients
07:34

Probing the Limits of Egg Recognition Using Egg Rejection Experiments Along Phenotypic Gradients

Published on: August 22, 2018

7.6K
Following the Dynamics of Structural Variants in Experimentally Evolved Populations
04:52

Following the Dynamics of Structural Variants in Experimentally Evolved Populations

Published on: February 3, 2023

1.2K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Apr 28, 2026

A Psychophysics Paradigm for the Collection and Analysis of Similarity Judgments
08:12

A Psychophysics Paradigm for the Collection and Analysis of Similarity Judgments

Published on: March 1, 2022

2.1K
Probing the Limits of Egg Recognition Using Egg Rejection Experiments Along Phenotypic Gradients
07:34

Probing the Limits of Egg Recognition Using Egg Rejection Experiments Along Phenotypic Gradients

Published on: August 22, 2018

7.6K
Following the Dynamics of Structural Variants in Experimentally Evolved Populations
04:52

Following the Dynamics of Structural Variants in Experimentally Evolved Populations

Published on: February 3, 2023

1.2K

Area of Science:

  • Evolutionary Biology
  • Quantitative Genetics
  • Developmental Biology

Background:

  • Genetic variation is abundant for individual traits but can be limited for multivariate trait combinations.
  • The geometric distribution of genetic variance may impose evolutionary limits.
  • Understanding evolutionary constraints is crucial for predicting species' adaptive potential.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To test the prediction that evolutionary limits are generated by the geometric distribution of genetic variance.
  • To investigate the role of genetic variance subspaces in constraining multivariate evolution.
  • To identify potential evolutionary constraints in natural populations.

Main Methods:

  • Artificial selection was applied along genetic eigenvectors of eight quantitative traits in Drosophila serrata.
  • Selection was conducted for six generations using 50% truncation selection.
  • Response to selection was assessed across nine replicate populations under different selection regimes.

Main Results:

  • All selection treatments showed at least one replicate population responding to selection, refuting a null genetic subspace as a universal constraint.
  • Treatments with low genetic variance in selection indexes showed inconsistent evolutionary responses.
  • Only four out of nine replicate populations evolved in low genetic variance treatments, indicating a limiting effect.

Conclusions:

  • A nearly null genetic subspace, characterized by low genetic variance, significantly limited evolutionary responses in Drosophila serrata.
  • These findings suggest that geometric constraints imposed by genetic variance distribution are a common mechanism of evolutionary constraint.
  • The identified mechanism may be prevalent in the evolution of morphological traits in natural populations.