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Related Concept Videos

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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Predator-Prey Interactions02:39

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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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Natural Selection and Adaptation01:15

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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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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 Mating Preferences01:06

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The principle of natural selection posits that organisms better adapted to their environment are more likely to survive and reproduce. This principle is closely intertwined with mating preferences, a key aspect of sexual selection, which evolutionary psychologists believe is driven by instincts to propagate one's genes. Such instincts significantly influence mating behaviors and preferences between genders.
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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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Linking Predation Risk, Herbivore Physiological Stress and Microbial Decomposition of Plant Litter
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Predator-driven natural selection on risk-taking behavior in anole lizards.

Oriol Lapiedra1, Thomas W Schoener2, Manuel Leal3

  • 1Museum of Comparative Zoology and Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA. olapiedragonzalez@fas.harvard.edu.

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Behavior significantly influences evolution. In predator-present environments, lizards evolved to avoid ground contact, while in predator-free areas, exploratory behaviors were favored, demonstrating behavior

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Area of Science:

  • Evolutionary Biology
  • Behavioral Ecology
  • Animal Behavior

Background:

  • The role of behavior in evolutionary adaptation is debated, but experimental evidence from natural settings is limited.
  • Individual Anolis sagrei lizards exhibit consistent variations in risk-taking behaviors.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To experimentally investigate the role of natural selection on behavior in the wild.
  • To determine how predator presence influences selection pressures on lizard behavior and morphology.

Main Methods:

  • Established experimental Anolis sagrei populations on eight islands with and without the predator Leiocephalus carinatus.
  • Monitored and analyzed behavioral and morphological traits under differing predation treatments.

Main Results:

  • Predator presence (Leiocephalus carinatus) predictably favored ground avoidance behavior in Anolis sagrei.
  • In the absence of predators, exploratory behaviors were selected for.
  • Selection on behavior was stronger than on morphology on predator islands, with the reverse observed on islands without predators.

Conclusions:

  • Natural selection can effectively shape behavioral traits in response to environmental changes, such as predator introduction.
  • Behavioral adaptation plays a crucial role in adaptation to varying ecological contexts.
  • This study provides experimental evidence for behavior as a driver of evolutionary adaptation in natural populations.