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

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
Frequency-dependent Selection01:21

Frequency-dependent Selection

20.1K
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.
20.1K
Incomplete Dominance01:43

Incomplete Dominance

18.8K
Gregor Mendel's work (1822 - 1884) was primarily focused on pea plants. Through his initial experiments, he determined that every gene in a diploid cell has two variants called alleles inherited from each parent. He suggested that amongst these two alleles, one allele is dominant in character and the other recessive. The combination of alleles determines the phenotype of a gene in an organism.
18.8K
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
Dihybrid Crosses01:18

Dihybrid Crosses

61.2K
Overview
61.2K
Trihybrid Crosses02:27

Trihybrid Crosses

24.5K
Trihybrid Crosses
Some of Mendel’s crosses examined three pairs of contrasting characteristics. Such a cross is called a trihybrid cross. A trihybrid cross is a combination of three individual monohybrid crosses. For example, plant height (tall vs. short), seed shape (round vs. wrinkled), and seed color (yellow vs. green).
The F1 generation plants of a trihybrid cross are heterozygous for all three traits and produce eight gametes. Upon self-fertilization, these gametes have an equal...
24.5K

You might also read

Related Articles

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

Sort by
Same author

High-Throughput iNaturalist Image Analysis Reveals Flower Color Divergence in <i>Monarda fistulosa</i>.

The American naturalist·2026
Same author

An X-linked sex determination mechanism in cannabis and hop.

Nature communications·2026
Same author

Network ontology transcript annotation identifies genetic signals underlying sex determination.

Scientific reports·2026
Same author

The geometry of dominance shows broad potential for stable polymorphism under antagonistic pleiotropy.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2026
Same author

A polygenic growth score and risk for large for gestational age birth weight.

Journal of the Endocrine Society·2026
Same author

A lectin receptor-like kinase controls self-pollen recognition in <i>Phlox</i>.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·2026

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Apr 25, 2026

Collection and Identification of Pollen from Honey Bee Colonies
08:11

Collection and Identification of Pollen from Honey Bee Colonies

Published on: January 19, 2021

8.9K

Strong reinforcing selection in a Texas wildflower.

Robin Hopkins1, Rafael F Guerrero1, Mark D Rausher2

  • 1Department of Integrative Biology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA.

Current Biology : CB
|August 27, 2014
PubMed
Summary

Reinforcement, a key driver of speciation, was quantified in Phlox drummondii. Natural selection on flower color genes involved in reinforcement proved exceptionally strong, demonstrating its decisive role in reproductive isolation.

More Related Videos

Field Experiments of Pollination Ecology: The Case of Lycoris sanguinea var. sanguinea
07:19

Field Experiments of Pollination Ecology: The Case of Lycoris sanguinea var. sanguinea

Published on: November 25, 2016

11.3K
Methods for Performing Crosses in Setaria viridis, a New Model System for the Grasses
08:35

Methods for Performing Crosses in Setaria viridis, a New Model System for the Grasses

Published on: October 1, 2013

23.4K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Apr 25, 2026

Collection and Identification of Pollen from Honey Bee Colonies
08:11

Collection and Identification of Pollen from Honey Bee Colonies

Published on: January 19, 2021

8.9K
Field Experiments of Pollination Ecology: The Case of Lycoris sanguinea var. sanguinea
07:19

Field Experiments of Pollination Ecology: The Case of Lycoris sanguinea var. sanguinea

Published on: November 25, 2016

11.3K
Methods for Performing Crosses in Setaria viridis, a New Model System for the Grasses
08:35

Methods for Performing Crosses in Setaria viridis, a New Model System for the Grasses

Published on: October 1, 2013

23.4K

Area of Science:

  • Evolutionary Biology
  • Speciation Research
  • Population Genetics

Background:

  • Reinforcement, the increase in reproductive isolation due to selection against hybrids, is a significant mechanism in speciation.
  • Previous empirical and theoretical studies suggest reinforcement is widespread, but its strength in nature remains unquantified.
  • This study focuses on the Texas wildflower *Phlox drummondii* as a model system.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To quantify the strength of reinforcing selection in *Phlox drummondii*.
  • To investigate the role of natural selection on flower color genes in driving reproductive isolation.
  • To demonstrate the decisive role of natural selection in reinforcement and speciation.

Main Methods:

  • Developed a spatially explicit population genetic model based on the genetics of flower color variation in *Phlox drummondii*.
  • Quantified sharp clines in flower color at the contact zone with the congener *Phlox cuspidata*.
  • Utilized likelihood-based model fitting and Markov chain Monte Carlo methods to analyze field data.

Main Results:

  • Quantified exceptionally strong selection on flower color genes driven by reinforcement.
  • Demonstrated that variation in two flower color loci underlies reinforcement in this system.
  • Showed sharp clines in flower color where *Phlox drummondii* and *Phlox cuspidata* interact.

Conclusions:

  • Natural selection can play a decisive role in the evolution of reproductive isolation through reinforcement.
  • The strength of selection driving reinforcement can be substantial in natural populations.
  • This study provides the first empirical quantification of reinforcing selection strength.