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Related Concept Videos

Epistasis01:39

Epistasis

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In addition to multiple alleles at the same locus influencing traits, numerous genes or alleles at different locations may interact and influence phenotypes in a phenomenon called epistasis. For example, rabbit fur can be black or brown depending on whether the animal is homozygous dominant or heterozygous at a TYRP1 locus. However, if the rabbit is also homozygous recessive at a locus on the tyrosinase gene (TYR), it will have an unshaded coat that appears white, regardless of its TYRP1...
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Hardy-Weinberg Principle01:49

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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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Instinctive Drift01:05

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Instinctive drift refers to the tendency of animals to revert to their innate behaviors despite repeated reinforcement. Breland and Breland demonstrated this concept in an experiment with a raccoon. The raccoon was trained to pick up two coins and place them in a container in exchange for food. Initially, the raccoon learned to associate the coins with food, making them a conditioned stimulus or a substitute for food. However, over time, the raccoon became less willing to put the coins into the...
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Interference and Decay01:16

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Forgetting is a complex cognitive phenomenon influenced by several factors, among which interference and decay are particularly prominent. These processes explain why individuals often struggle to retrieve specific information from memory, leading to lapses in recall that can be observed in everyday situations.
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Unusual results are those that have a very low chance of occurring. Unusual results can be identified using probabilities and the range rule of thumb. In problems involving probability, unusual results can be observed in 2 instances – an unusually high number of successes or an unusually low number of successes.
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Frequency-dependent Selection01:21

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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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Rarity and persistence.

Geerat J Vermeij1, Richard K Grosberg2

  • 1Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, 95616, USA.

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|November 8, 2017
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Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Chronically rare species, defined by low population densities, may possess traits enhancing extinction resistance. These include internal fertilization and mobile gamete dispersal, contrasting with traits that hinder long-term rarity.

Keywords:
Biodiversityexternal fertilisationextinctiongamete transferhistorical trendsinternal fertilisationpollinationpopulation densityrain forests

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Area of Science:

  • Ecology
  • Evolutionary Biology
  • Conservation Biology

Background:

  • Species rarity is often linked to elevated extinction risk.
  • Chronically rare species exhibit low population densities over extended periods and wide ranges.
  • Understanding traits that promote persistence in rare species is crucial for conservation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate individual-level traits that may confer extinction resistance to chronically rare species.
  • To identify biological characteristics associated with successful persistence at low population densities.
  • To explore the evolutionary implications of these traits in marine taxa.

Main Methods:

  • Comparative analysis of traits associated with successful fertilization in low-density populations.
  • Review of life history traits and reproductive strategies in rare species.
  • Examination of trait frequencies in marine genera over geological time.

Main Results:

  • Successful fertilization at low densities is facilitated by internal fertilization, long-distance mate choice signals, mobile gamete dispersal, or hermaphroditism.
  • External fertilization and passive gamete dispersal are incompatible with sustained rarity.
  • An increase in these advantageous traits in marine genera correlates with decreased background extinction rates.

Conclusions:

  • Specific individual-level traits can enhance the extinction resistance of chronically rare species.
  • These traits appear to be evolving in marine environments, potentially explaining reduced extinction rates.
  • Further research is needed to determine the prevalence and distribution of chronic rarity and its associated traits across taxa and ecosystems.