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Related Concept Videos

What is Natural Selection?01:32

What is Natural Selection?

131.0K
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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Limits to Natural Selection01:38

Limits to Natural Selection

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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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Types of Selection01:46

Types of Selection

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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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Natural Selection and Adaptation01:15

Natural Selection and Adaptation

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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.
Beyond physical adaptations,...
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Natural Selection and Mating Preferences01:06

Natural Selection and Mating Preferences

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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.
Females, due to their biological roles in conception, pregnancy, and nursing,...
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Genetic Drift03:33

Genetic Drift

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Natural selection—probably the most well-known evolutionary mechanism—increases the prevalence of traits that enhance survival and reproduction. However, evolution does not merely propagate favorable traits, nor does it always benefit populations.
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Following the Dynamics of Structural Variants in Experimentally Evolved Populations
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THE CAUSES OF NATURAL SELECTION.

Michael J Wade1, Susan Kalisz2,3

  • 1Department of Ecology and Evolution, The University of Chicago, 915 East 57th Street, Chicago, IL, 60637, USA.

Evolution; International Journal of Organic Evolution
|June 1, 2017
PubMed
Summary

Identifying natural selection requires understanding the environment

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Area of Science:

  • Evolutionary Biology
  • Ecology
  • Quantitative Genetics

Background:

  • Natural selection drives evolutionary change by favoring certain traits.
  • Multivariate selection analysis is a common observational method to study selection.
  • Identifying the specific causal agents of selection remains challenging.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To establish conditions for identifying the causes of natural selection on phenotypic traits.
  • To evaluate the sufficiency of current observational methods.
  • To propose an integrated approach combining observation and experimentation.

Main Methods:

  • Re-examination of observational methods for measuring natural selection.
  • Critique of multivariate selection analysis for identifying causal agents.
  • Integration of experimental manipulations with observational data.

Main Results:

  • Multivariate selection analysis alone is insufficient to identify causal agents of selection.
  • Fitness arises from the interaction between phenotype and environment.
  • Experimental manipulation is crucial for understanding the 'why' behind observed selection patterns.

Conclusions:

  • The environment is integral to understanding phenotype-fitness relationships.
  • Identifying selection's agents requires integrating ecological context with evolutionary analysis.
  • A reciprocal approach of observational and experimental methods is recommended for robust identification of selection's causes.