in the absence of any large scale envirorrmental


In the absence of any large scale envirorrmental change that is, in more or less uniform environments, populations often maintain a stable genetic constitution with respect to many traits. Natural selection in the absence of environmental change maintains a genetic homeostasis. This phenomeon is known as normidising selection Several of the phenotypic, traits of individuals can be arranged on a linear scale. The distribution curve of the traits usually takes a bell shape, so that the number of individuals is greater at intermediate values and gradually decrease towards the extremes. Ja. As stated earlier, normalising selection occurs when individuals with intermediate phenotypes are favoured and those with extremes are under selection pressure. This tendency continues generation after generation. If there is a strong selection pressure against the phenotypes occupying the extremes of normal curve, then the population may show less variability although the mean remains the sarne. Natural selection has more often a normalising or stabilising effect on populations with mid-values for the traits and individuals with intermediate values for their traits have better chances of survival. For instance, new born infarits which weigh very less or very more than the average weight have high rate of mortality. Contrarily infants of intermediate weight have less problems of survival. We discuss two examples below, one from nature and the other from the experiments of Dobzhansky and Spassky to explain the concept of normalising selection.

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Biology: in the absence of any large scale envirorrmental
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