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Related Concept Videos

Frequency-dependent Selection01:21

Frequency-dependent Selection

24.3K
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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Predator-Prey Interactions02:39

Predator-Prey Interactions

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Predators consume prey for energy. Predators that acquire prey and prey that avoid predation both increase their chances of survival and reproduction (i.e., fitness). Routine predator-prey interactions elicit mutual adaptations that improve predator offenses, such as claws, teeth, and speed, as well as prey defenses, including crypsis, aposematism, and mimicry. Thus, predator-prey interactions resemble an evolutionary arms race.
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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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Mutation, Gene Flow, and Genetic Drift01:09

Mutation, Gene Flow, and Genetic Drift

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In a population that is not at Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium, the frequency of alleles changes over time. Therefore, any deviations from the five conditions of Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium can alter the genetic variation of a given population. Conditions that change the genetic variability of a population include mutations, natural selection, non-random mating, gene flow, and genetic drift (small population size).
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What is Population Genetics?01:25

What is Population Genetics?

65.1K
A population is composed of members of the same species that simultaneously live and interact in the same area. When individuals in a population breed, they pass down their genes to their offspring. Many of these genes are polymorphic, meaning that they occur in multiple variants. Such variations of a gene are referred to as alleles. The collective set of all the alleles within a population is known as the gene pool.
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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Feb 22, 2026

Manipulation of Color Patterns in Jumping Spiders for Use in Behavioral Experiments
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Predator Perspective Drives Geographic Variation in Frequency-Dependent Polymorphism.

Iris A Holmes, Maggie R Grundler, Alison R Davis Rabosky

    The American Naturalist
    |September 23, 2017
    PubMed
    Summary
    This summary is machine-generated.

    Predator behavior, not just localized selection, can create striking color pattern differences in neighboring populations. This study reveals how predator-prey interactions shape geographic mosaics in polymorphic species.

    Keywords:
    color polymorphismfrequency-dependent selectiongeographic mosaicmimicryprey-switching model

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    Area of Science:

    • Ecology
    • Evolutionary Biology
    • Population Genetics

    Background:

    • Geographic mosaics of color polymorphism present challenges for explanation without localized selection.
    • Neighboring populations often show dramatic differences in morph composition, defying simple isolation-by-distance models.

    Purpose of the Study:

    • To explore processes generating geographic mosaics in polymorphic populations.
    • To investigate the influence of predator perspective, selection, migration, and genetic linkage on allele frequencies.

    Main Methods:

    • Developed a simulation-based model using parameters inspired by butterflies, snails, frogs, and snakes.
    • Analyzed the impact of predator-prey home range size on morph composition.
    • Examined interactions between predator perspective, frequency dependence, and selection across varying migration and selection intensities.

    Main Results:

    • Relative sizes of predator and prey home ranges significantly influence morph composition differences between populations.
    • Predator perspective interacts with frequency-dependent and directional selection to shape allele frequencies.
    • Regional predation can drive phenotypic mosaic formation without requiring spatial variation in selective regimes.

    Conclusions:

    • Predator behavior is a key, underappreciated factor in the formation and maintenance of geographic mosaics.
    • Predator-prey dynamics offer a powerful explanation for striking spatial patterns in polymorphic species.