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Related Concept Videos

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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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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Gene Duplication and Divergence02:37

Gene Duplication and Divergence

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The seminal work of Ohno in 1970 popularized the idea of gene duplication and divergence. DNA sequence comparison studies reveal that a large portion of the genes in bacteria, archaebacteria, and eukaryotes was  generated by gene duplication and divergence, indicating its critical role in evolution.
The duplicated copies of the gene are called Paralogs. Paralogs with similar sequences and functions form a gene family. Across several species, a large number of gene families are...
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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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Speciation Rates01:07

Speciation Rates

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Overview
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Hardy-Weinberg Principle01:49

Hardy-Weinberg Principle

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Diploid organisms have two alleles of each gene, one from each parent, in their somatic cells. Therefore, each individual contributes two alleles to the gene pool of the population. The gene pool of a population is the sum of every allele of all genes within that population and has some degree of variation. Genetic variation is typically expressed as a relative frequency, which is the percentage of the total population that has a given allele, genotype or phenotype.
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Following the Dynamics of Structural Variants in Experimentally Evolved Populations
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Polymorphism at a mimicry supergene maintained by opposing frequency-dependent selection pressures.

Mathieu Chouteau1, Violaine Llaurens2, Florence Piron-Prunier2

  • 1Centre d'Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Evolutive, UMR 5175 CNRS-Université de Montpellier, École Pratique des Hautes Études, Université Paul Valéry, 34293 Montpellier 5, France; mathieu.chouteau@cefe.cnrs.fr.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
|July 5, 2017
PubMed
Summary

Antagonistic frequency-dependent selection maintains mimicry polymorphism in Heliconius numata butterflies. Interactions between predator avoidance and mate choice drive this adaptive diversity, crucial for evolutionary biology.

Keywords:
Müllerian mimicryaposematismdisassortative matingselection conflictswarning signals

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Area of Science:

  • Evolutionary Biology
  • Ecology
  • Genetics

Background:

  • Maintaining adaptive diversity is key in evolutionary biology, with implications for conservation and medicine.
  • Adaptation typically reduces diversity, making the coexistence of multiple phenotypes a puzzle.
  • Understanding the ecological mechanisms behind adaptive phenotypes is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate how antagonistic frequency-dependent selection (FDS) maintains mimicry polymorphism in Heliconius numata.
  • To determine the ecological mechanisms driving the coexistence of adaptive phenotypes in this species.

Main Methods:

  • Analyzing frequency-dependent selection (FDS) from natural and sexual selection on wing-pattern traits.
  • Conducting mate-choice experiments with different wing-pattern morphs.
  • Examining heterozygote genotypes at the supergene locus controlling wing-pattern variation.

Main Results:

  • Antagonistic FDS, from both predator selection and mate choice, maintains mimicry polymorphism.
  • Positive FDS from predators favors abundant morphs, while negative FDS from mate choice favors rare morphs.
  • Observed heterozygote excess at the supergene locus supports negative FDS from mate choice.

Conclusions:

  • The interplay of natural and sexual selection, creating antagonistic FDS, is sufficient to maintain diverse mimicry morphs in H. numata.
  • This study highlights the importance of considering interactions between selective pressures to understand adaptive polymorphism.
  • Findings contribute to understanding how alternative adaptive phenotypes persist within populations.