Chapter 19.

Adaptive Evolution
 Adaptive Evolution
• Natural Selection works on heritable traits
• Selects for beneficial traits
• Allele increases in frequency in population
• Selects against deleterious traits
• Allele decreases in frequency in population
• This is call Adaptive Evolution
• Natural Selection isn’t actively selecting for/against an allele, it is selecting
for/against a phenotype
• It selects for individuals that that have a greater contribution to the gene pool
• Evolutionary Fitness
• Example: A wolf may have a genotype that allows it to run faster than
wolves (without that genotype) but if that wolf also has a genotype that
causes it to be blind then it will not live to pass the “fast” trait on
 Relative Fitness
• A measure of an individual’s fitness compared to the fitness of others in
the population
• i.e., having a gene for super hearing is not an advantage if every member of the
population has that same gene
• Individuals with high Relative Fitness will have higher contribution to
gene pool
Effects of Natural Selection/Adaptive Evolution

• Stabilizing selection
• Directional selection
• Disruptive selection
• Frequency dependent selection
• Sexual selection
 Stabilizing Selection
• Selective pressure for average phenotype Original population

• Greater relative fitness After stabilizing

selection
• Selective pressure against extreme phenotypes
• Less relative fitness
• Genetic variance in population will decrease
 Directional Selection Original population
• Selective pressure for one extreme phenotype After stabilizing
• Greater relative fitness selection

• Selective pressure against the other extreme and

the average
• Less relative fitness
• Population’s genetic variance shifts to new
phenotype
 Diversifying Selection
• Selective pressure for both extreme phenotypes Diversifying Selection
Original population

• Greater relative fitness After stabilizing

selection
• Selective pressure against average phenotype
• Less relative fitness
• Genetic variance in population will increase
 Frequency-Dependent Selection
• Selection for:
• Common phenotypes (positive frequency-dependent)
• Relative fitness increases when phenotype is common
• Relative fitness decreases when phenotype is rare
• Decreases genetic variance

• Rare phenotypes (negative frequency-dependent)

• Relative fitness decreases when phenotype is common
• Relative fitness increases when phenotype is rare
• Increases genetic variance
 Sexual Selection
• Sexual Dimorphism is when males and females of a species exhibit
phenotype differences beyond reproductive organs

• Occurs when males’ ability to mate is more variable than females’

• Bigger/stronger or prettier/showy males have a better chance to mate
• Bigger/Stronger males can fight off other males
• Prettier/Showy males are more attractive to females
• This variation in male reproductive success creates strong sexual
selection for:
• Males to be bigger/stronger, or prettier/showy
• Females to choose to mate with males that are bigger/stronger, or prettier/showy
 Sexual Selection
• Results of sexual selection pressure can result in phenotypes that are deleterious
to survival but beneficial to reproduction

• Handicap Principle: The phenotype is such a disadvantage that only the fittest
males can survive with it
• It is an honest signal to females
• Good Genes Hypothesis: Males develop these impressive phenotypes to show off
their superior genes
• Still an honest signal to females

• Females mate with these males so their offspring inherit better genes which leads
to increased fitness
• Females choosing to mate with these males further reinforces the selective pressure