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What is Natural Selection?

What is Natural Selection?

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.

Types of Selection

Types of Selection

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...

Predator-Prey Interactions

Predator-Prey Interactions

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.

Ecological Niches

Ecological Niches

All organisms have a position within an ecosystem. The complete set of living and nonliving factors—including food resources, climate, and terrain—that define the position of a given organism are collectively referred to as the organism’s ecological niche.

Naturalistic Observations

Naturalistic Observations

If you want to understand how behavior occurs, one of the best ways to gain information is to simply observe the behavior in its natural context. However, people might change their behavior in unexpected ways if they know they are being observed. How do researchers obtain accurate information when people tend to hide their natural behavior? As an example, imagine that your professor asks everyone in your class to raise their hand if they always wash their hands after using the restroom. Chances...

Frequency-dependent Selection

Frequency-dependent Selection

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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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Aug 26, 2025

Foraging Path-length Protocol for Drosophila melanogaster Larvae

Foraging Path-length Protocol for Drosophila melanogaster Larvae

Published on: April 23, 2016

Foraging for the self: Environment selection for agency inference.

Kelsey Perrykkad¹, Jonathan E Robinson², Jakob Hohwy^2,3

¹Cognition and Philosophy Lab, Philosophy Department, School of Philosophical, Historical and International Studies, Monash University, 29 Ancora Imparo Way, Clayton, VIC, 3800, Australia. kelsey.perrykkad@monash.edu.

Psychonomic Bulletin & Review

|October 11, 2022

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Individuals switch environments when prediction errors increase, with autism traits influencing tolerance. People prefer variable environments over complex ones due to better accuracy and confidence in agency.

Keywords:

Agency Autism Environment complexity Environmental niche selection Prediction error

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Radio Frequency Identification and Motion-sensitive Video Efficiently Automate Recording of Unrewarded Choice Behavior by Bumblebees

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Published on: November 15, 2014

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Last Updated: Aug 26, 2025

Foraging Path-length Protocol for Drosophila melanogaster Larvae

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Published on: April 23, 2016

Author Spotlight: Exploring Behavioral Pathways Through Cross-Species Insights in Foraging and Communication

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Radio Frequency Identification and Motion-sensitive Video Efficiently Automate Recording of Unrewarded Choice Behavior by Bumblebees

Radio Frequency Identification and Motion-sensitive Video Efficiently Automate Recording of Unrewarded Choice Behavior by Bumblebees

Published on: November 15, 2014

Area of Science:

Cognitive Science
Neuroscience
Psychology

Background:

Agents select environments not just for rewards, but to minimize uncertainty about control.
Understanding environment selection dynamics is crucial for explaining agent behavior and has implications for conditions like autism.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate how uncertainty about agency influences environment selection in an online experiment.
To test the hypothesis that prediction errors drive environment switching and to identify preferred environment types.

Main Methods:

An online experiment where participants freely moved between two environments: one with high variability, one complex to model.
Analysis of environment switching behavior in response to prediction errors and individual differences in autism traits.

Main Results:

Participants actively switched environments following increased prediction errors.
Autism traits modulated the tolerance for prediction error before switching occurred.
The variable environment was preferred over the complex one, associated with higher accuracy and confidence.

Conclusions:

Prediction error in agency-related actions is a key driver of environment switching.
Individual differences, particularly autism traits, significantly impact this switching behavior.
This study advances understanding of unconstrained foraging dynamics and agency judgments.