Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

What is Natural Selection?01:32

What is Natural Selection?

120.7K
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.
120.7K
Limits to Natural Selection01:38

Limits to Natural Selection

32.9K
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.
32.9K
Natural Selection and Adaptation01:15

Natural Selection and Adaptation

780
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,...
780
Natural Selection and Mating Preferences01:06

Natural Selection and Mating Preferences

214
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.
Females, due to their biological roles in conception, pregnancy, and nursing,...
214
Life Histories01:29

Life Histories

20.9K
Overview
20.9K
Inclusive Fitness00:57

Inclusive Fitness

36.4K
Most altruistic behavior—in which one animal helps another at a cost to themselves—occurs between relatives. Scientists think these altruistic behaviors evolved because they increase the inclusive fitness of the animal providing help.
36.4K

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Why recombination hotspots?

PLoS genetics·2026
Same author

Genipin-Crosslinked, Silane-Anchored 3D Tumor-Stroma Microtissues for High-Content On-Chip Drug Testing.

Advanced healthcare materials·2026
Same author

Why there are so many definitions of fitness in models.

Genetics·2026
Same author

Empirical Validation of the Nearly Neutral Theory at Divergence and Population-Genomic Scales Using 144 Placental Mammal Genomes.

Genome biology and evolution·2026
Same author

D-LIM: A neural network for interpretable gene-gene interactions.

PLoS computational biology·2026
Same author

EMPIRICAL VALIDATION OF THE NEARLY NEUTRAL THEORY AT DIVERGENCE AND POPULATION GENOMIC SCALE USING 144 PLACENTAL MAMMALS GENOMES.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2025
Same journal

Correction: Yalçın et al. Impact of SGLT2 Inhibitors on Cardiovascular Risk Scores, Metabolic Parameters, and Laboratory Profiles in Type 2 Diabetes. <i>Life</i> 2025, <i>15</i>, 722.

Life (Basel, Switzerland)·2026
Same journal

Correction: Schubert et al. Minimally Invasive Ablation Strategies for Renal Cell Carcinoma Patients Ineligible for Surgery. <i>Life</i> 2026, <i>16</i>, 73.

Life (Basel, Switzerland)·2026
Same journal

Blood Group Antigen Combinations and COVID-19: Complexity, Associations and Possible Clinical Relevance.

Life (Basel, Switzerland)·2026
Same journal

Beyond HPV in Eastern Europe: Genotype Distribution, Molecular Biomarkers, Vaginal Microbiome, and Implications for Cervical Cancer Prevention.

Life (Basel, Switzerland)·2026
Same journal

Therapeutic Effects of <i>Scutellaria baicalensis</i> Georgi Extract and Baicalein on Olfactory Dysfunction and Neurobehavioral Alterations in a Methimazole-Induced Injury Model.

Life (Basel, Switzerland)·2026
Same journal

The Effects of Unstable Strength Training on Lower Limb Stability in Adolescent Volleyball Players in China.

Life (Basel, Switzerland)·2026
See all related articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Oct 15, 2025

Daily Transfers, Archiving Populations, and Measuring Fitness in the Long-Term Evolution Experiment with Escherichia coli
15:00

Daily Transfers, Archiving Populations, and Measuring Fitness in the Long-Term Evolution Experiment with Escherichia coli

Published on: August 18, 2023

3.7K

Natural Selection beyond Life? A Workshop Report.

Sylvain Charlat1, André Ariew2, Pierrick Bourrat3,4

  • 1Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Évolutive, Université de Lyon, Université Lyon 1, CNRS, UMR 5558, 43 Boulevard du 11 Novembre 1918, 69622 Villeurbanne, France.

Life (Basel, Switzerland)
|October 23, 2021
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Natural selection, the engine of adaptive evolution, may extend beyond biology. Exploring this requires understanding how individuality emerges in physical systems, a key challenge for recognizing non-living natural selection.

Keywords:
evolutionary biologyexobiologyindividualitylevels of selectionnatural selectionorigins of lifephilosophy of biologyphysics

More Related Videos

Author Spotlight: Automated Lifespan Monitoring &#8211; Discovering Aging Dynamics with the Lifespan Machine
08:53

Author Spotlight: Automated Lifespan Monitoring – Discovering Aging Dynamics with the Lifespan Machine

Published on: January 26, 2024

1.3K
Mutagenesis and Functional Selection Protocols for Directed Evolution of Proteins in E. coli
09:01

Mutagenesis and Functional Selection Protocols for Directed Evolution of Proteins in E. coli

Published on: March 16, 2011

30.7K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Oct 15, 2025

Daily Transfers, Archiving Populations, and Measuring Fitness in the Long-Term Evolution Experiment with Escherichia coli
15:00

Daily Transfers, Archiving Populations, and Measuring Fitness in the Long-Term Evolution Experiment with Escherichia coli

Published on: August 18, 2023

3.7K
Author Spotlight: Automated Lifespan Monitoring &#8211; Discovering Aging Dynamics with the Lifespan Machine
08:53

Author Spotlight: Automated Lifespan Monitoring – Discovering Aging Dynamics with the Lifespan Machine

Published on: January 26, 2024

1.3K
Mutagenesis and Functional Selection Protocols for Directed Evolution of Proteins in E. coli
09:01

Mutagenesis and Functional Selection Protocols for Directed Evolution of Proteins in E. coli

Published on: March 16, 2011

30.7K

Area of Science:

  • Evolutionary Biology
  • Physical Systems
  • Astrobiology

Background:

  • Natural selection is defined as heritable variation in fitness among individuals, driving adaptive evolution.
  • Formalizing natural selection invites exploration beyond biological systems.
  • Research into life-like or proto-biotic systems aims to mimic natural selection in vitro.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To explore the possibility of natural selection occurring in non-living physical systems.
  • To discuss the conceptual and technical challenges of applying natural selection principles outside of biology.
  • To identify the necessary conditions and signatures of natural selection for cross-disciplinary application.

Main Methods:

  • Review of research fields investigating "life-like" or "proto-biotic" systems.
  • Analysis of the framework of dissipative structures in physics.
  • Examination of general formulations of natural selection from evolutionary biology.

Main Results:

  • The framework of dissipative structures does not provide general principles for deriving natural selection.
  • Applying general formulations of natural selection beyond biology is hindered by the concept of individuality.
  • Recognizing and understanding the emergence of individuality in physico-chemical terms is crucial.

Conclusions:

  • Natural selection may not be exclusively a biological phenomenon.
  • The concept of individuality is central but ill-defined for cross-disciplinary application of natural selection.
  • Further research into the physico-chemical basis of individuality is essential for detecting natural selection in non-living systems.