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Related Concept Videos

Types of Selection01:46

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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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The Behrens-Fisher test is a statistical method designed to address the Behrens-Fisher problem, which arises when comparing the means of two normally distributed populations with unequal variances. Unlike the Student's t-test, which assumes equal variances, the Behrens-Fisher test allows for mean comparison without this restrictive assumption. This flexibility makes it particularly valuable in scenarios where two independent samples exhibit normality but lack variance homogeneity.
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Fisher's exact test is a statistical significance test widely used to analyze 2x2 contingency tables, particularly in situations where sample sizes are small. Unlike the chi-squared test, which approximates P-values and assumes minimum expected frequencies of at least five in each cell, Fisher's exact test calculates the exact probability (P-value) of observing the data or more extreme results under the null hypothesis. This feature makes it especially valuable when the assumptions of...
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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.
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Frequency-dependent Selection01:21

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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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Ronald Fisher and group selection.

Robert J Asher1

  • 1Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Downing St., Cambridge, CB2 3EJ, UK. r.asher@zoo.cam.ac.uk.

History and Philosophy of the Life Sciences
|August 27, 2025
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Ronald Fisher proposed early group selection theories, suggesting socioeconomic factors influence human civilization

Keywords:
Gene's eye viewHuman civilizationInclusive fitnessMulti-level selection

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Area of Science:

  • Evolutionary Biology
  • Statistics
  • Sociology

Background:

  • Pioneering statistician and evolutionary biologist Ronald Aylmer Fisher (1890-1962) founded modern statistics.
  • Fisher is often linked to gene-centric natural selection but considered multi-level factors.
  • His 1930 book, The Genetical Theory of Natural Selection, explored societal dynamics.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To analyze Fisher's theories on human civilization's rise and fall.
  • To connect Fisher's ideas to contemporary multi-level selection theory.
  • To examine Fisher's concept of group selection in evolutionary and social contexts.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of Fisher's 1930 book, The Genetical Theory of Natural Selection.
  • Interpretation of Fisher's proposed mechanisms for societal change.
  • Comparison of Fisher's concepts with modern multi-level selection theory.

Main Results:

  • Fisher proposed that socioeconomic factors, operating above the individual level, can influence reproductive patterns and social complexity.
  • He introduced concepts analogous to "multi-level selection 1" (group selection) and "multi-level selection 2" (heritable features in supra-individual units).
  • Fisher's work foreshadows current multi-level selection theories, despite some outdated views on human diversity.

Conclusions:

  • Fisher's theories on civilization provide early insights into multi-level selection.
  • His work highlights the impact of supra-individual factors on evolution and social structures.
  • Understanding Fisher's concepts requires separating his evolutionary insights from his inaccurate views on human diversity.