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Naturalselection

All articles tagged with #naturalselection

science-and-environment2 years ago•13 min saved

"Natural Selection's Dual Role: Driving Evolution and Preserving Stability"

A multigenerational study of four lizard species has provided insights into the "paradox of stasis" in evolutionary biology, where traits appear stable over long periods despite variability in the short term. The research, led by James Stroud, observed that while individual generations of lizards showed fluctuating traits due to directional selection, these variations averaged out to stasis over multiple generations. This study, which meticulously tracked and measured thousands of individual lizards over three years, suggests that short-term variability can lead to long-term stability in species, offering a potential resolution to the paradox of stasis.

via Quanta Magazine|

##evolution #lizards

science-and-environment2 years ago•3 min saved

"Scientists Reveal How Natural Selection May Decelerate Evolutionary Processes"

Scientists have discovered that natural selection, typically known for driving evolutionary change, can also act to maintain similarities between populations, potentially slowing down evolution. The study, led by evolutionary biologist Jeff Conner, used wild radish plants to demonstrate that natural selection is preserving a trait in the species—specifically, the length difference between stamens—over millions of years. This finding challenges the traditional view that natural selection only promotes diversity and suggests that it can also enforce stability in certain traits, despite the presence of genetic variation that could allow for change. The research, which has implications for our understanding of evolutionary processes, has been published in the journal New Phytologist.

via ScienceAlert|

##biology #evolution