There are many examples of adaptive molecular evolution in natural populations, but there is no existing method to verify which phenotypic changes were directly targeted by selection. The problem is that correlations between traits make it difficult to distinguish between direct and indirect selection. A phenotype is a direct target of selection when that trait in particular was shaped by selec...

For migratory birds, the earlier arrival of males to breeding grounds is often expected to have fitness benefits. However, the selection differential on male arrival time has rarely been decomposed into the direct effect of male arrival and potential indirect effects through female traits. We measured the directional selection differential on male arrival time in the pied flycatcher (Ficedula h...

Sesame is an important oilseed crop in India. To determine potential traits and selection criteria for yield improvement, ninety sesame (Sesamum indicum L.) genotypes were studied in a randomized complete block design with three replications. The data collected on 13 characters were subjected to three different analyses. In variability analysis, high heritability was accompanied by a high genet...

two types of small-scale selection experiments were performed. (1) Artificial selection experiments were performed on age-specific female fecundity. Selection for early fecundity over three generations produced a statistically detectable direct response. There was no detectable indirect response in other life-history characters. Selection for late fecundity over three generations did not produc...