Mechanisms of natural selection

Considerable debate still exists bout the precise nature of the mechanisms involved in the process of natural selection. In 23 May Nature, Patrik Nosil and colleagues from Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, Canada, show that divergent selection for host adaptation, and not genetic drift, has promoted the parallel evolution of sexual isolation in the walking-stick insect Timema cristinae (Nature 2002, 417:440-443).Nosil et al. studied populations of T. cristinae from eight study sites in the Santa

| 1 min read

Register for free to listen to this article
Listen with Speechify
0:00
1:00
Share

Considerable debate still exists bout the precise nature of the mechanisms involved in the process of natural selection. In 23 May Nature, Patrik Nosil and colleagues from Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, Canada, show that divergent selection for host adaptation, and not genetic drift, has promoted the parallel evolution of sexual isolation in the walking-stick insect Timema cristinae (Nature 2002, 417:440-443).

Nosil et al. studied populations of T. cristinae from eight study sites in the Santa Ynez Mountains of California, and recorded the distribution of the two genetically determined color-pattern morphs (the colors match the color of the host plants).

They observed that the geographic distance between populations was positively correlated with the degree of sexual isolation of T. cristinae. However the degree of sexual isolation observed between populations was not correlated with genetic distances between pairs of populations. In addition, the pairs of populations using different host plants were not ...

Interested in reading more?

Become a Member of

The Scientist Logo
Receive full access to more than 35 years of archives, as well as TS Digest, digital editions of The Scientist, feature stories, and much more!
Already a member? Login Here

Meet the Author

  • Tudor Toma

    This person does not yet have a bio.
Share
May digest 2025 cover
May 2025, Issue 1

Study Confirms Safety of Genetically Modified T Cells

A long-term study of nearly 800 patients demonstrated a strong safety profile for T cells engineered with viral vectors.

View this Issue
Detecting Residual Cell Line-Derived DNA with Droplet Digital PCR

Detecting Residual Cell Line-Derived DNA with Droplet Digital PCR

Bio-Rad
How technology makes PCR instruments easier to use.

Making Real-Time PCR More Straightforward

Thermo Fisher Logo
Characterizing Immune Memory to COVID-19 Vaccination

Characterizing Immune Memory to COVID-19 Vaccination

10X Genomics
Optimize PCR assays with true linear temperature gradients

Applied Biosystems™ VeriFlex™ System: True Temperature Control for PCR Protocols

Thermo Fisher Logo

Products

The Scientist Placeholder Image

Biotium Launches New Phalloidin Conjugates with Extended F-actin Staining Stability for Greater Imaging Flexibility

Leica Microsystems Logo

Latest AI software simplifies image analysis and speeds up insights for scientists

BioSkryb Genomics Logo

BioSkryb Genomics and Tecan introduce a single-cell multiomics workflow for sequencing-ready libraries in under ten hours

iStock

Agilent BioTek Cytation C10 Confocal Imaging Reader

agilent technologies logo