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Related Concept Videos

What is Natural Selection?01:32

What is Natural Selection?

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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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Types of Selection01:46

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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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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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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.
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Natural selection: it's a many-small world after all.

Marius Roesti1, Walter Salzburger1

  • 1Zoological Institute, University of Basel, Vesalgasse 1, 4051 Basel, Switzerland.

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Summary

Adaptive diversification in threespine stickleback fish readily occurs, impacting multiple traits. This rapid evolutionary process involves numerous genetic loci across the genome, offering insights into evolutionary biology.

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Area of Science:

  • Evolutionary biology
  • Genetics
  • Ecology

Background:

  • Understanding adaptive phenotypic change and its genetic basis is a key challenge in biology.
  • Threespine stickleback fish are a model organism for studying rapid adaptation and speciation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the speed and genetic architecture of adaptive diversification in threespine stickleback fish.
  • To determine if adaptive change affects multiple traits and involves numerous genetic loci.

Main Methods:

  • Experimental evolution using threespine stickleback fish.
  • Exposure to divergent semi-natural environments.
  • Genomic analysis to identify genetic loci associated with adaptation.

Main Results:

  • Adaptive diversification was observed to occur readily in the experimental populations.
  • The study revealed that adaptive change affected numerous phenotypic traits.
  • Multiple genetic loci across the genome were identified as being involved in the adaptive process.

Conclusions:

  • Adaptive diversification can happen rapidly and is a common evolutionary outcome.
  • Phenotypic adaptation involves complex genetic architectures with numerous loci.
  • Threespine stickleback fish provide a powerful system for studying the genetic basis of adaptation.