Abstract
Abstract Natural selection is one of the primary mechanisms moulding the phenotypic characters of a population. This central tenet of evolutionary biology is well established and it is widely accepted that past and present environments have interacted and continue to interact in complex ways with the genetic constitutions of organisms to produce the populations we see today. while not discounting the importance of stochastic events in the evolutionary processes, natural selection is seen by many evolutionary biologists as a key to understanding the form, function, and demography of populations. There are manifold ways in which complex environments can alter organisms, both directly in shaping the appearance of individuals and indirectly through selective changes that modify populations’ gene pools. Through detailed investigations of populations in their natural environments, we have begun to understand some of the ways in which natural selection operates. Classic studies by Clutton-Brock and colleagues (1982) on Red Deer (Cervus elephas), by Newton (1986) on Sparrowhawks (Accipiter nisus) and by many workers on Great Tits (Parus major) (for example McCleery and Perrins 1989), have helped clarify how natural selection influences both demographic and other phenotypic attributes of these populations.
Published Version
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call