Evolution of behavior by density-dependent natural selection.

Evolution of behavior by density-dependent natural selection.

Theories of density-dependent natural selection predict that evolution should favor those genotypes with the highest per capita rates of population growth under the current density conditions. These theories are silent about the mechanisms that may give rise to these increases in density-dependent growth rates. We have observed the evolution of six populations of Drosophila melanogaster recentl...

Studying the Genetics of Behavior & Evolution by Adaptation & Natural Selection

Evolution by Natural Selection

The first published expression of the theory of evolution by natural selection was printed July 1, 1858, in the Journal of the Linnaean Society of London in the form of two essays: one by Charles Darwin and one by Alfred Russel Wallace. These two essays, along with Darwin's preliminary Sketch of 1842 and his Essay of 1844 (neither of which were published until 1909), and a foreword by Sir Gavin...

Natural selection and density-dependent population growth.

Natural selection was studied in the context of density-dependent population growth using a single locus, continuous time model for the rates of change of population size and allele frequency. The maximization principle of density-dependent selection was applied to a class of fitness expressions with explicit recruitment and mortality terms. Three general results were obtained: First, at low po...

Conditions for Evolution by Natural Selection*