Questions tagged [natural-selection]
A mechanism of evolution that leads to non-random spread of genes due to the effect that genes have on reproductive success.
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Why is the Baldwin Effect-transformation of learned behaviors into instinctive ones-a likely result of natural selection?
The Baldwin effect is an evolutionary mechanism that describes how learned behaviors can influence the direction of natural selection. It is postulated that when a learned behavior is advantageous, ...
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Is there a human gene or allele that has dramatically changed in frequency of occurence in the past circa 500 years?
I'm a writer and engineer, not a biologist, so please forgive me on errors. I've done hours and hours of reading of biology texts and research papers trying to answer this question for myself before ...
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Models of evolution by positive versus negative selection
I am making a program for simulating natural selection. Now, I have discovered an interesting difference between positive selection and negative selection.
Positive selection occurs when the ...
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Intelligence without natural selection?
Natural selection is not the only driving force of evolution. There are other mechanisms such as genetic drift, mutations, gene flow, etc... To what extent can these different mechanisms (which don't ...
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Given that "genetic drift" can happen, why is searching for an adaptive explanation for traits considered an important scientific question?
I saw today on Wikenigma (a wiki for open questions in science) that there are many competing explanations for why zebra stripes are evolutionarily adaptive, and there is no consensus on which one(s) ...
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What is "Correlation of growth" according to Darwin and was he correct about it according to modern science?
What are the views that modern biologist have on Correlation of growth? I need some clarification on statement that I'm gonna mention below as well that is it reason to that as mentioned here: "...
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Would the environmental pressures imposed by humans make the housefly of today significantly harder to swat than their ancestors of 1000 years ago?
For context, I am primarily referring to Musca domestica.
Recently the thought occurred to me that due to short life cycle of the common housefly, and due to the fact that such flies have interacted ...
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How to get an adaptive landscape from a fitness function?
In Schluter (2000), it is mentioned that one can convert a fitness function (see image (a)) to an adaptive landscape (see (b) and (c)). The key is to calculate the mean phenotype of a population and ...
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What mammalian species has the greatest relative variance in adult size?
The smallest adult chihuahuas weigh about 2 kg, and the largest adult English Mastiffs are around 104 kg, making them 52 times larger by weight.
Of course, this enormous variance is the result of ...
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How does natural selection interacts with sustained mask use?
At leasts in some European countries, the number of respiratory (non-covid) infectious diseases on children this term is higher than last year and similar to pre-pandemic years in spite of social ...
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Why is "mutual search" of some disadvantage/loss of power? (in Darwin's The Descent of Man)
I read a book "The Descent of Man" from Charles Darwin. What is the reason for the following statement?
"It would be no advantage and some loss of power if both sexes were mutually to ...
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What determines whether a trait brought out through sexual selection is transmitted only to offspring of the same sex or of both sexes?
First of all, let me apologize for my amateurishness. I have no background in biology. Please bear with me.
My question relates to sexual selection, or specifically its most prominent manifestations:
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Which processes in the human body depend on natural selection among cells?
Are there processes in the human body which occur via natural selection among cells? Could anyone provide examples?
E.g. when tissues are conditioned to be stronger, such as a rock climber's skin ...
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How is the possibility of beneficial mutations ensured in the genome?
To ensure natural selection and variability, the genome must have a structure in which the occurrence of beneficial mutations has a high enough probability. But how is this ensured? The space of ...
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higher-order evolutionary adaptations
Most adaptations are what I'd call first-order. Cats evolve better eyesight; redwoods evolve to grow taller; male cardinals evolve attractive bright feathers. All of these changes were selected for ...
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Visualizing the effect of selection on a population with a fitness landscape in R
I am trying to write a script to demonstrate the effect of selection in a population. The problem that I have is that it is not realistic in the sense that not only the mean would change for ...
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Nonlinear (Quadratic) selection gradients formula
Under scenarios of stabilizing or disruptive selection, we can add a quadratic component to our model of phenotype and fitness like so.
Specifically, I am not clear on where the 1/2 comes from nor do ...
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Why are fairyflies so small?
The Mymaridae are the smallest insects. This video explains their numerous adaptations to being as small as 140 microns yet still complex, such as smaller cells with as little cytoplasm as possible, ...
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What is the difference between effective and efficient selection?
I always thought of the efficiency of natural selection in the context of molecular evolution. I.e. that linked selection and smaller population size cause less efficient selection. It took me a while ...
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Can a trait be too successful? Wouldn't overwhelmingly successful traits limit variability, which is one of the requirements of NS? [closed]
Can a trait be too successful? Wouldn't an overwhelmingly successful trait soon limit the gene pool, and if so, how would the process of natural selection react to that? If an individual is born ...
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Population Genetics Using WGS: How do I know when I have enough individuals?
I am having a difficult time finding information about a minimum threshold for number of individuals to use in wgs pop gen analyses. Are there software or formulas/theory available to determine what ...
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Evolution at a glacial pace: how does it work? [duplicate]
Some trees are very long-lived, such as the Great Basin Bristlecone Pine and the Giant Sequoia (up to 4,800 years old).
How does natural selection and evolution affect such long-lived organisms? ...
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When telomere length is measured, is the method performed on a collection of cells yielding an average?
What are the methods used in measuring telomeres in human or animal subjects?
Can it be done on an individual cell?
Has the following concern been raised and addressed before:
What if there exists a ...
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What is the impact of selection on orthologous and paralogous genes? How would this impact differ in different regions of protein coding genes?
Since paralogs increase the size of the genome and provide more opportunity for the evolution of novel characteristics, would they be more prone to selection?
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How did migrations evolve?
Disclaimer: I know nearly nothing about biology.
I was wondering how did the migratory behaviour of birds evolve. Assuming that evolution/natural selection works slowly and gradually (at least most of ...
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Is social anxiety a part of human gene pool and caused by natural selection?
I'm reading a book called 'Why Buddhism Is True' and I'm not sure I understand author's point regarding social anxiety and natural selection:
Our ancestral environment didn’t feature cocktail parties,...
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Is natural selection actually random?
In the Theory of Evolution, two main factors take place:
One is random, which are the different mutations that organisms' DNA suffer. This process adds genetic variability to a given population.
The ...
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Are there real world examples of one way isolation between two populations?
I know that for two populations A and B, there are situations in which there is a two way exchange of individuals between the populations, and there are situations in which there is no exchange of ...
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Does epigenetics suggest there is at least some element of truth to Lamarckism?
I am not a biologist. But googling "epigenetics lamarck", I find many different opinions:
For: Lamarck rises from his grave, Epigenetics: Lamarck’s Revenge?, Darwin’s theory ... is incomplete without ...
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Why is selection less effective in small populations than in larger?
I can understand that the genetic drift has a higher impact on smaller populations, but what does it mean for the selection to be less effective in small populations than higher?
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Clarification regarding a statement in "The Selfish Gene" by Richard Dawkins
In the third chapter of The Selfish Gene: Immortal coils, Dr.Dawkins makes the following statement while arguing for the case that ultimately "the gene" as he defines it is the unit of natural ...
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Do any known viruses contain "junk" or parasitic genomic information?
After reading about so-called "mystery proteins" in this excellent summary of the coronavirus genome (and acknowledging that the "mystery" simply reflects our lack of knowledge about a very new virus),...
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Why are smaller mammals more prone to cancer and tumors
especially rats and mice usually develop cancer and tumors very fast, reducing their life expectancy.
From an evolutionary point of view, how come that these mammals are so prone to cancer and tumors ...
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Are mosquitoes attracted to blue lights in particular?
I've been confronting the fact since childhood that mosquitoes are attracted to lights, especially blue lights. Now I know that all insects including mosquitoes are attracted to bright light but I ...
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Why might long telomeres be selected for in laboratory mice?
In a recent episode of The Portal, Eric Weinstein sits down with his brother Bret Weinstein to discuss Bret's Reserve-Capacity Hypothesis. It's an incredible story of scientific discovery and academic ...
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Do technological developments terminate the evolution of human species? [duplicate]
One of the most agreed upon mechanisms for evolution is natural selection. Changing environmental conditions necessitates development of variations that enable the survival of that particular species. ...
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Is the frequency at which a species mutate affected by natural selection? [duplicate]
As per natural selection, is it safe to assume that some species will have it genetically encoded so that they produce a certain 'perfect' rate of mutation so that they can adapt to an environment ...
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Does natural selection still increase biological complexity?
I recently read The Selfish Gene by Richard Dawkins, which I found very interesting. In one of the last chapters, he gives multiple possible explanations to the question "Why did natural selection ...
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How does natural selection explain sexual display?
As I understand it, animals sometimes grow more vibrant colors, bigger feathers, elaborate dances, build shiny nests, all to impress the other sex. However, these are all superfluous to survival -- ...
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Evolution of recurrent laryngeal nerve in a giraffe [closed]
Do natural selection and survival of the fittest explain the divergent length of the recurrent laryngeal nerve...centimeters in the human, 15 feet in the giraffe?
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What are the implications/predictions of the selfish gene theory?
Are there any testable predictions or implications of the selfish gene theory? Or it is just interesting interpretation of the observations/experimental data? If this theory is not falsifiable and ...
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Is evolution always unidirectional?
Is it possible, at least in theory, for a species to evolve into another species and then evolve back into the first species?
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Examples of animals who 'forget' their offspring
Occasionally on the news I read about young children dying in hot cars on a sunny day. Usually the article reports that the parent(s) 'forgot' about their children still being in the car.
Obviously ...
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Who were the first authors to talk about local adaptation?
I was curious to read about what Darwin had to say about the existance of locally adapted subpopulations. I discovered to my surprise that the expressions and terms "local adaptation", "spatial ...
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What is the relationship between r/K strategy and filial infanticides?
In other words, is the frequency of killing one's own offspring among species dependent on their location on the r/K strategy spectrum?
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Why can't geese regurgitate food?
I saw this harrowing video on how barnacle goslings have to jump off very high cliffs because the parent's can't feed them. The death rate seems high. Why did natural selection come to favor jumping ...
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Is variation a result of Evolution?
We know that the DNA copying mechanism that replicates DNA during cellular division is not 100% accurate and the resultant errors are the source of variation in the members of a population.
At the ...
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Sharks, alligators and Gould's "random walk" theory
I was thinking about Stephen Jay Gould's view on evolution as pure "random walk" / Drunkard's Walk, increasing or decreasing complexity in basically random fashion, just limited by death if an ...
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Are there any evolutionary reasons for the different tree shapes? If so, What are they?
So we know there are a thousand types of trees with different shapes.
We have Columnar shaped trees:
Pyramidal or Conical shaped trees:
Weeping shaped trees:
And we also have Round, Vased, Open-...
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Do Traits Have to be Adaptive in Order to Survive?
I'm reading Michael Pollan's book 'How to Change Your Mind', which is largely about psychedelic mushrooms. In discussing the biology of the mushrooms, he writes:
'Even if psilocybin in mushrooms ...
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