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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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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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Fixed Action Patterns01:06

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A fixed action pattern (FAP) is a specific, hard-wired sequence of behaviors that occurs in response to an external stimulus, called a sign stimulus. The behavior is “fixed” because it is essentially unchangeable—proceeding similarly across individuals of a species every time it occurs.
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Mate Choice01:20

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Mate choice—the decision about whom to mate with—is a type of natural selection, since animals must reproduce to pass down their genes. Mate choice is also called intersexual selection because the behavior occurs between the sexes.
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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 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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Manipulation of Color Patterns in Jumping Spiders for Use in Behavioral Experiments
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Stabilizing selection on individual pattern elements of aposematic signals.

Anne E Winters1, Naomi F Green2, Nerida G Wilson3,4

  • 1School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland 4072, Australia anne.winters@uqconnect.edu.au.

Proceedings. Biological Sciences
|August 25, 2017
PubMed
Summary

Predators learn warning signals by focusing on specific traits, like the yellow rims on nudibranchs. This selective learning drives stable warning signals, influencing evolutionary patterns.

Keywords:
colour patterngenetic differentiationmarine molluscswarning signals

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Area of Science:

  • Ecology
  • Evolutionary Biology
  • Animal Behavior

Background:

  • Warning signal variation is common but seemingly counterproductive for predator learning.
  • Predators may learn only certain components of a warning signal, leading to varied selection pressures.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate how predators learn warning signals and if this impacts signal evolution.
  • To test the hypothesis that predators focus on specific signal elements, causing variation in other components.

Main Methods:

  • Studied the nudibranch mollusc, *Goniobranchus splendidus*, for its red spot/white body/yellow rim pattern.
  • Assessed unpalatability of nudibranchs via secondary metabolites.
  • Analyzed color pattern variation and conducted predator-prey behavioral experiments.

Main Results:

  • Nudibranchs contained unpalatable secondary metabolites.
  • Yellow rims were invariable across populations, while red spots showed significant variation.
  • Predatory fish (*Rhinecanthus aculeatus*) used yellow rims for recognition and avoidance.

Conclusions:

  • Predator learning of specific warning signal elements, like yellow rims, can lead to stabilizing selection on those elements.
  • This has significant implications for the evolution of warning signals and their component parts.