Patterns and Power of Phenotypic Selection in Nature

Phenotypic selection occurs when individuals with certain characteristics produce more surviving offspring than individuals with other characteristics. Although selection is regarded as the chief engine of evolutionary change, scientists have only recently begun to measure its action in the wild. Th...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Bioscience 2007-07, Vol.57 (7), p.561-572
Main Authors: KINGSOLVER, JOEL G, PFENNIG, DAVID W
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adaptation (Biology)
adaptive landscape
animal breeding
Body size
Cope's rule
Directional selection
Disruptive selection
Ecological competition
Evolution
Evolutionary adaptation
Evolutionary biology
Genetic diversity
Genotype & phenotype
Heredity
Influence
Natural populations
Natural selection
Offspring
OVERVIEW ARTICLES
Phenotype
Phenotypes
phenotypic correlation
Phenotypic selection
Phenotypic traits
plant breeding
Population
Population characteristics
rapid evolution
Regression (Statistics)
sexual selection
Sports training
Stabilizing selection
Straight line
Success
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Summary:Phenotypic selection occurs when individuals with certain characteristics produce more surviving offspring than individuals with other characteristics. Although selection is regarded as the chief engine of evolutionary change, scientists have only recently begun to measure its action in the wild. These studies raise numerous questions: How strong is selection, and do different types of traits experience different patterns of selection? Is selection on traits that affect mating success as strong as selection on traits that affect survival? Does selection tend to favor larger body size, and, if so, what are its consequences? We explore these questions and discuss the pitfalls and future prospects of measuring selection in natural populations.
ISSN:0006-3568
1525-3244
DOI:10.1641/B570706