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

Genetics of Speciation02:16

Genetics of Speciation

19.2K
Speciation is the evolutionary process resulting in the formation of new, distinct species—groups of reproductively isolated populations.
19.2K
Speciation Rates01:07

Speciation Rates

21.2K
Overview
21.2K
Formation of Species01:31

Formation of Species

39.3K
Speciation describes the formation of one or more new species from one or sometimes multiple original species. The resulting species are discrete from the parent species, and barriers to reproduction will typically exist. There are two primary mechanisms, speciation with and without geographic isolation—allopatric and sympatric speciation, respectively.
39.3K
Natural Selection and Mating Preferences01:06

Natural Selection and Mating Preferences

103
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,...
103
Types of Selection01:46

Types of Selection

40.4K
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...
40.4K
Hybrid Zones02:29

Hybrid Zones

17.0K
Hybrid zones are narrow regions where two closely related species interact, mate, and produce hybrids. Relative to either parent species, hybrids may possess distinct phenotypic or genetic differences that impact their survival and reproductive success. The genetic variances introduced by hybridization influence species diversity and speciation processes within the hybrid zone.
17.0K

You might also read

Related Articles

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

Sort by
Same author

Executive functioning in wild guppies: investigating the impact of a pharmaceutical pollutant.

Animal cognition·2026
Same author

Antidepressant exposure suppresses boldness and behavioural individuality across social contexts in fish.

Biology letters·2026
Same author

The importance of mitochondrial DNA introgression for conservation.

Trends in ecology & evolution·2026
Same author

A transparent universal credit system to incentivize peer review.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·2026
Same author

Early emergency department decision support for heart failure hospitalization using triage-level unstructured and structured data: a retrospective cohort study.

BMC medical informatics and decision making·2026
Same author

Cocaine pollution alters the movement and space use of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) in a large natural lake.

Current biology : CB·2026
Same journal

Microbial contributions to host life history trade-offs.

Trends in ecology & evolution·2026
Same journal

Can habitat modification in the native range promote invasion?

Trends in ecology & evolution·2026
Same journal

The host-microbiome dimension of ecological regime shifts.

Trends in ecology & evolution·2026
Same journal

The emerging field of wild animal welfare science.

Trends in ecology & evolution·2026
Same journal

Integrating nutritional mutualists into the evolution of defense.

Trends in ecology & evolution·2026
Same journal

Formation of three great Asian plateaus, climate change, and biodiversity: (Trends Ecol. Evol. 40, 970-982; 2025).

Trends in ecology & evolution·2026
See all related articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 30, 2025

Determination of the Mating Efficiency of Haploids in Saccharomyces cerevisiae
05:39

Determination of the Mating Efficiency of Haploids in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Published on: December 2, 2022

2.4K

Sexual selection and speciation in the Anthropocene.

Janette W Boughman1, Jack A Brand2, Robert C Brooks3

  • 1Department of Integrative Biology & Evolution, Ecology and Behavior Program, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA.

Trends in Ecology & Evolution
|March 19, 2024
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Human-caused environmental changes disrupt sexual selection, a key process for biodiversity generation. This can lead to increased hybridization and biodiversity loss, threatening species survival.

Keywords:
anthropogenic changecondition-dependent displaydiversificationglobal change biologymate choice

More Related Videos

Visually Sexing Loggerhead Shrike Lanius Ludovicianus Using Plumage Coloration and Pattern
04:10

Visually Sexing Loggerhead Shrike Lanius Ludovicianus Using Plumage Coloration and Pattern

Published on: March 8, 2020

6.1K
Author Spotlight: Whole-Mount Fluorescence In Situ Hybridization to Study Spermatogenesis in the Anopheles Mosquito
05:31

Author Spotlight: Whole-Mount Fluorescence In Situ Hybridization to Study Spermatogenesis in the Anopheles Mosquito

Published on: May 26, 2023

2.4K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jun 30, 2025

Determination of the Mating Efficiency of Haploids in Saccharomyces cerevisiae
05:39

Determination of the Mating Efficiency of Haploids in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Published on: December 2, 2022

2.4K
Visually Sexing Loggerhead Shrike Lanius Ludovicianus Using Plumage Coloration and Pattern
04:10

Visually Sexing Loggerhead Shrike Lanius Ludovicianus Using Plumage Coloration and Pattern

Published on: March 8, 2020

6.1K
Author Spotlight: Whole-Mount Fluorescence In Situ Hybridization to Study Spermatogenesis in the Anopheles Mosquito
05:31

Author Spotlight: Whole-Mount Fluorescence In Situ Hybridization to Study Spermatogenesis in the Anopheles Mosquito

Published on: May 26, 2023

2.4K

Area of Science:

  • Evolutionary biology
  • Ecology
  • Conservation science

Background:

  • Anthropogenic change poses a significant threat to global biodiversity, leading to ecological disturbance and species extinction.
  • Sexual selection, a crucial evolutionary force driving speciation, is sensitive to environmental conditions and thus vulnerable to human-induced alterations.
  • Environmental changes can impact sexual displays and mate preferences, potentially blurring species boundaries and increasing hybridization rates.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To examine the effects of anthropogenic change on sexual selection as a generator of biodiversity.
  • To assess how environmental alterations influence mate recognition and sexual divergence.
  • To understand the implications of altered sexual selection for speciation and biodiversity loss.

Main Methods:

  • Conceptual analysis integrating ecological and evolutionary principles.
  • Review of existing literature on sexual selection and anthropogenic impacts.
  • Theoretical modeling of mate choice and speciation under environmental change.

Main Results:

  • Anthropogenic alterations to sexual selection can impair species recognition, leading to increased hybridization.
  • Weakened sexual selection divergence can result in biodiversity loss.
  • While rare, anthropogenically altered sexual selection may occasionally promote diversification, but biodiversity loss is the more probable outcome.

Conclusions:

  • Anthropogenic change significantly impacts sexual selection, a critical driver of biodiversity.
  • Altered sexual selection processes pose a substantial risk of increased hybridization and biodiversity loss.
  • A global change perspective is essential for understanding sexual selection and speciation in contemporary ecosystems.