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

Limits to Natural Selection01:38

Limits to Natural Selection

36.0K
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.
36.0K
What is Natural Selection?01:32

What is Natural Selection?

132.6K
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.
132.6K
Overview of Cell Death01:30

Overview of Cell Death

11.2K
Cell death is an essential process where the body gets rid of old or damaged cells. Cell proliferation and death need to be balanced, as an imbalance between the two may lead to cancer or autoimmune diseases.
Cell death was observed in the early 19th century, but there was no experimental evidence to prove it. In 1842, Carl Vogt first discovered cell death in a metamorphic toad; however, it was not termed ‘cell death.’ Scientists discovered different cell death pathways only in the...
11.2K
Natural Selection and Adaptation01:15

Natural Selection and Adaptation

1.7K
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,...
1.7K
Natural Selection and Mating Preferences01:06

Natural Selection and Mating Preferences

746
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.
Females, due to their biological roles in conception, pregnancy, and nursing,...
746
Frequency-dependent Selection01:21

Frequency-dependent Selection

24.5K
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.
24.5K

You might also read

Related Articles

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

Sort by
Same author

<i>In vitro</i> recapitulation of intramuscular mRNA vaccination with naive and recall antigens using a human lymphoid follicle chip platform.

iScience·2026
Same author

Human organ-on-a-chip technology as a catalyst for drug discovery.

Advanced drug delivery reviews·2026
Same author

Deep learning-enabled discovery of antibiotics effective against <i>Neisseria gonorrhoeae</i>.

Science translational medicine·2026
Same author

A Call for the Universal Use of Respirators in Healthcare.

New solutions : a journal of environmental and occupational health policy : NS·2026
Same author

Correction: MRC1 and LYVE1 expressing macrophages in vascular beds of GNAQ p.R183Q driven capillary malformations in Sturge Weber syndrome.

Acta neuropathologica communications·2026
Same author

Probiotic intervention mitigates radiation-induced intestinal injury by alleviating oxidative stress in a human gut-on-a-chip.

Scientific reports·2026
Same journal

Erratum: Bacterial Turbulence at Compressible Fluid Interfaces [Phys. Rev. Lett. 136, 138301 (2026)].

Physical review letters·2026
Same journal

Unveiling Light-Quark Yukawa Flavor Structure via Dihadron Fragmentation at Lepton Colliders.

Physical review letters·2026
Same journal

Adaptable Route to Fast Coherent State Transport via Bang-Bang-Bang Protocols.

Physical review letters·2026
Same journal

Topological Transition and Emergence of Elasticity of Dislocation in Skyrmion Lattice: Beyond Kittel's Magnetic-Polar Analogy.

Physical review letters·2026
Same journal

Pound-Drever-Hall Method for Superconducting-Qubit Readout.

Physical review letters·2026
Same journal

Coupling a ^{73}Ge Nuclear Spin to an Electrostatically Defined Quantum Dot in Silicon.

Physical review letters·2026
See all related articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Apr 6, 2026

The Modular Design and Production of an Intelligent Robot Based on a Closed-Loop Control Strategy
11:53

The Modular Design and Production of an Intelligent Robot Based on a Closed-Loop Control Strategy

Published on: October 14, 2017

12.4K

Programed Death is Favored by Natural Selection in Spatial Systems.

Justin Werfel1,2,3, Donald E Ingber2,3,4, Yaneer Bar-Yam1

  • 1New England Complex Systems Institute, 210 Broadway, Suite 101, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA.

Physical Review Letters
|July 22, 2015
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Programmed mortality, or programmed death, can benefit a lineage over generations by preventing resource depletion in spatial models. This suggests natural selection may favor shorter lifespans in many species.

More Related Videos

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

1.4K
High-Throughput Robotically Assisted Isolation of Temperature-sensitive Lethal Mutants in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii
10:51

High-Throughput Robotically Assisted Isolation of Temperature-sensitive Lethal Mutants in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii

Published on: December 5, 2016

10.4K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Apr 6, 2026

The Modular Design and Production of an Intelligent Robot Based on a Closed-Loop Control Strategy
11:53

The Modular Design and Production of an Intelligent Robot Based on a Closed-Loop Control Strategy

Published on: October 14, 2017

12.4K
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

1.4K
High-Throughput Robotically Assisted Isolation of Temperature-sensitive Lethal Mutants in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii
10:51

High-Throughput Robotically Assisted Isolation of Temperature-sensitive Lethal Mutants in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii

Published on: December 5, 2016

10.4K

Area of Science:

  • Evolutionary biology
  • Theoretical ecology
  • Population dynamics

Background:

  • Standard evolutionary theories assume programmed mortality is disadvantageous due to lack of direct individual benefit.
  • These theories often rely on mean-field assumptions, overlooking spatial structures.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the evolutionary viability of programmed mortality in spatial models.
  • To determine if programmed deaths can confer long-term lineage benefits.

Main Methods:

  • Development and analysis of spatial models with local reproduction.
  • Simulation of population dynamics incorporating programmed mortality.
  • Examination of spatiotemporal patterns and feedback mechanisms over multiple generations.

Main Results:

  • Programmed deaths robustly lead to long-term lineage benefits in spatial models.
  • This benefit arises from reducing local environmental resource depletion.
  • Spatiotemporal patterns and generational feedback are key mechanisms.

Conclusions:

  • Programmed mortality is evolutionarily tenable and can be advantageous in spatially structured populations.
  • Direct selection for shorter lifespans may be widespread in nature.
  • Spatial structure and local reproduction are critical factors influencing mortality strategies.