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Related Concept Videos

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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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 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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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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Frequency-dependent Selection01:21

Frequency-dependent Selection

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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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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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MEASURING NATURAL SELECTION ON PHENOTYPIC PLASTICITY.

Samuel M Scheiner1, Hilary S Callahan2

  • 1Department of Life Sciences, Arizona State University West, P.O. Box 37100, Phoenix, Arizona, 85069.

Evolution; International Journal of Organic Evolution
|June 1, 2017
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

This study introduces a new method to measure natural selection across diverse environments, integrating environmental variation and phenotypic plasticity. The findings reveal selection pressures on plant traits and their adaptability in changing conditions.

Keywords:
Arabidopsis thalianaFloweringnatural selectionpath analysisphenotypic plasticityreaction norm

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Area of Science:

  • Evolutionary Biology
  • Quantitative Genetics
  • Ecology

Background:

  • Understanding natural selection requires integrating measures across varied environments.
  • Phenotypic plasticity allows organisms to adjust to environmental changes, influencing evolutionary trajectories.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To develop and present a novel method for measuring phenotypic selection that accounts for environmental variation and phenotypic plasticity.
  • To quantify selection on traits and plasticity in experimental populations.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized path analysis to model selection across environments.
  • Developed a measure of selection analogous to selection on breeding values.
  • Quantified selection on plasticity as the difference in selection within environments.

Main Results:

  • Demonstrated positive selection on inflorescence height in both open and shaded environments for Arabidopsis thaliana.
  • Observed negative selection on height plasticity and positive selection on bolting time, with no selection on bolting time plasticity.
  • Showcased how to analyze changes in selection with varying environmental frequencies and transition probabilities.

Conclusions:

  • The presented method offers a comprehensive approach to measuring natural selection in dynamic environments.
  • Findings highlight differential selection pressures on plant traits and plasticity, crucial for adaptation.
  • The framework is expandable to continuous traits, environments, and complex natural selection scenarios.