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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...

Limits to Natural Selection

Limits to Natural Selection

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.

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.

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.

Mutation, Gene Flow, and Genetic Drift

Mutation, Gene Flow, and Genetic Drift

In a population that is not at Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium, the frequency of alleles changes over time. Therefore, any deviations from the five conditions of Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium can alter the genetic variation of a given population. Conditions that change the genetic variability of a population include mutations, natural selection, non-random mating, gene flow, and genetic drift (small population size).

Natural Selection and Adaptation

Natural Selection and Adaptation

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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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Aug 1, 2025

Experimental Manipulation of Body Size to Estimate Morphological Scaling Relationships in Drosophila

Experimental Manipulation of Body Size to Estimate Morphological Scaling Relationships in Drosophila

Published on: October 1, 2011

Natural Selection and Scale Invariance.

Adrian F Tuck¹

¹Retired Scientist, 3401 Arapahoe Avenue Unit 317, Boulder, CO 80303, USA.

Life (Basel, Switzerland)

|April 28, 2023

Summary

Natural selection principles, including competition and variation, are observed in simple molecular systems. This suggests natural selection operates across all scales, influencing the origin and evolution of complexity and life.

Keywords:

Gibbs free energy molecular dynamics non-equilibrium thermodynamics statistical multifractals symmetry breaking

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Area of Science:

Thermodynamics
Statistical Mechanics
Origin of Life Studies
Astrobiology

Background:

Natural selection is traditionally associated with biological systems.
Simple molecular systems exhibit features analogous to natural selection.
Understanding the emergence of complexity is key to abiogenesis.

Purpose of the Study:

To explore the presence of natural selection in non-living molecular populations.
To investigate the role of thermodynamics in the emergence of complexity and scale invariance.
To bridge the gap between microscopic and macroscopic scales in non-equilibrium systems.

Main Methods:

Analysis of molecular populations exhibiting competition, variation, and transmission.
Application of statistical multifractality formalism to non-equilibrium systems.
Examination of scaling behavior and scale invariance in molecular dynamics.

Main Results:

Essential features of natural selection observed in simple molecular systems.
Emergence of scaling behavior driven by Gibbs free energy.
Statistical multifractality provides a link between microscopic and macroscopic scales.

Conclusions:

Natural selection operates on all scales, not exclusively biological ones.
Thermodynamic principles and scale invariance are crucial for complexity and potential abiogenesis.
Earth's fluid envelope demonstrates scale invariance, supporting evolution in non-equilibrium conditions.