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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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Background and Environment Affect Phenotype02:27

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Although the genetic makeup of an organism plays a major role in determining the phenotype, there are also several environmental factors, such as temperature, oxygen availability, presence of mutagens, that can alter an organism’s phenotype.
An example of how genetic background affects phenotype can be seen in horses. The Extension gene in horses is responsible for their coat color. A wild-type gene (EE) produces black pigment in the coat, while a mutant gene (ee) produces red pigment. A...
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Natural Selection and Adaptation01:15

Natural Selection and Adaptation

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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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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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Frequency-dependent Selection01:21

Frequency-dependent Selection

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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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Shifting Zebrafish Lethal Skeletal Mutant Penetrance by Progeny Testing
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Why study plasticity in multiple traits? New hypotheses for how phenotypically plastic traits interact during

Matthew E Nielsen1,2, Daniel R Papaj1

  • 1Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, 85721.

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Organisms exhibit multivariate plasticity, adapting multiple traits to environmental changes. This study proposes a framework to understand how these plastic responses interact, influencing development and evolution.

Keywords:
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Area of Science:

  • Evolutionary Biology
  • Developmental Biology
  • Ecology

Background:

  • Phenotypic plasticity allows organisms to adapt to environmental changes.
  • Multivariate plasticity involves adaptive changes in multiple traits simultaneously.
  • Interactions between different plastic traits are not well understood.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To propose a conceptual framework for understanding interactions in multivariate plasticity.
  • To explain how plastic responses in one trait affect others.
  • To explore the benefits of multiple plastic responses.

Main Methods:

  • Conceptual framework development.
  • Review of existing literature and case studies.
  • Focus on interactions between behavioral and morphological plasticity.

Main Results:

  • Plastic changes in one trait can alter a second trait via cue- or response-mediated effects.
  • Multivariate plasticity can be beneficial through synergy or complementarity.
  • Interactions between behavior and morphology highlight trait reversibility differences.

Conclusions:

  • Interactions within multivariate plasticity are crucial for adaptive evolution.
  • Synergy and complementarity explain the benefits of coordinated plastic responses.
  • Further research is needed on plasticity limits and costs.