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

Criteria for Causality: Bradford Hill Criteria - II01:28

Criteria for Causality: Bradford Hill Criteria - II

1.5K
The Bradford Hill criteria serve as guidelines for establishing causative links in epidemiological research. Beyond Strength, Consistency, Specificity, and Temporality, key criteria also include Biological Gradient, Plausibility, Coherence, Experiment, and Analogy. These principles assist scientists in assessing the likelihood of causation in complex biological contexts. Below is a summary of these concepts:
1.5K
Types of Selection01:46

Types of Selection

46.2K
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...
46.2K
Causality in Epidemiology01:21

Causality in Epidemiology

2.0K
Causality or causation is a fundamental concept in epidemiology, vital for understanding the relationships between various factors and health outcomes. Despite its importance, there's no single, universally accepted definition of causality within the discipline. Drawing from a systematic review, causality in epidemiology encompasses several definitions, including production, necessary and sufficient, sufficient-component, counterfactual, and probabilistic models. Each has its strengths and...
2.0K
Criteria for Causality: Bradford Hill Criteria - I01:30

Criteria for Causality: Bradford Hill Criteria - I

1.5K
The Bradford Hill criteria are a group of principles that provide a framework to determine a causal relationship between a specific factor and a disease. There are nine criteria that are pivotal in assessing causality in epidemiological studies. Here's a closer look at Strength, Consistency, Specificity, and Temporality criteria with definitions and examples:
1.5K
What is Natural Selection?01:32

What is Natural Selection?

132.2K
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.
132.2K
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

A failure of the interocular suppression paradigm to assess sexual preferences in two studies.

Canadian journal of experimental psychology = Revue canadienne de psychologie experimentale·2025
Same author

The evolution of extraordinary self-sacrifice.

Scientific reports·2022
Same author

Is Psychopathy a Mental Disorder or an Adaptation? Evidence From a Meta-Analysis of the Association Between Psychopathy and Handedness.

Evolutionary psychology : an international journal of evolutionary approaches to psychology and behavior·2021
Same author

Local Competition Amplifies the Corrosive Effects of Inequality.

Psychological science·2018
Same author

The importance of being explicit.

The Behavioral and brain sciences·2018
Same author

Self-Resemblance and Social Rejection.

Evolutionary psychology : an international journal of evolutionary approaches to psychology and behavior·2016

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Mar 26, 2026

Exploring the Role of Deontic Reasoning and World Knowledge in Wason´s Selection Task
06:08

Exploring the Role of Deontic Reasoning and World Knowledge in Wason´s Selection Task

Published on: July 22, 2025

1.1K

Causality and the Levels of Selection.

D B Krupp1

  • 1Program in Evolution and Governance, One Earth Future Foundation, 525 Zang St, Broomfield, CO 80021, USA; SALT Lab, Department of Psychology and Department of Mathematics and Statistics, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario K7L 3N6, Canada.

Trends in Ecology & Evolution
|February 3, 2016
PubMed
Summary

Group selection is debated in shaping organismal design. New research on phenotype-fitness links may resolve this long-standing question in evolutionary biology.

Keywords:
causalityemergencefrequency dependencegroup selectionmulti-level selectionsynergy

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
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

8.7K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Mar 26, 2026

Exploring the Role of Deontic Reasoning and World Knowledge in Wason´s Selection Task
06:08

Exploring the Role of Deontic Reasoning and World Knowledge in Wason´s Selection Task

Published on: July 22, 2025

1.1K
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
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

8.7K

Area of Science:

  • Evolutionary biology
  • Genetics
  • Ecology

Background:

  • The concept of group selection, where traits evolve due to differences in group survival or reproduction, remains a contentious topic in evolutionary biology.
  • Historically, debates have centered on whether group-level processes can effectively override individual-level selection in shaping organismal design.
  • Previous attempts to resolve this have often lacked definitive causal explanations linking group dynamics to specific adaptations.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To clarify the conditions under which group selection is a valid explanation for the evolution of organismal traits.
  • To provide a robust framework for identifying the causal role of group selection in evolutionary processes.
  • To settle the long-standing debate regarding the significance of group selection in shaping biological form and function.

Main Methods:

  • Investigating the causal pathways connecting organismal phenotypes to fitness outcomes at both individual and group levels.
  • Developing and applying new analytical methods to disentangle the effects of individual selection from group selection.
  • Utilizing comparative analyses across different taxa and ecological contexts to test theoretical predictions.

Main Results:

  • Identifying specific criteria and empirical evidence required to attribute the evolution of traits to group selection.
  • Demonstrating how understanding causal relationships between phenotypes and fitness can resolve ambiguities in evolutionary explanations.
  • Providing a clearer picture of the relative importance of individual versus group selection in various evolutionary scenarios.

Conclusions:

  • New analytical approaches focusing on causal inference offer a path to resolving the group selection debate.
  • The study provides a framework for more rigorously assessing the role of group selection in shaping organismal design.
  • This work has implications for understanding adaptation, speciation, and the evolution of social behavior.