Revision Lecture | Concept of Natural Selection in Evolutionary Theory | UGC NET & UPSC Anthropology

This revision lecture provides a focused conceptual overview of Selection in Evolutionary Theory, a core topic in Biological Anthropology, Population Genetics, and Human Evolution. It explains selection as a non-random evolutionary force that acts on phenotypic variation and produces changes in the genetic structure of populations through differential survival and reproductive success. The lecture explains the three essential conditions of selection—variation, heredity, and differential fitness—while distinguishing genetic variation from phenotypic plasticity, epigenetic effects, and developmental variation. The major modes of natural selection—stabilizing, directional, and disruptive selection—are explained through key examples such as human birth weight, hominin encephalization, and African seedcracker beak variation. Major Topics Covered Concept and Mechanism of Selection Variation, Heredity and Differential Fitness Stabilizing, Directional and Disruptive Selection Sexual and Balancing Selection Heterozygote Advantage Kin Selection, Inclusive Fitness & Hamilton’s Rule Cultural Buffering and Artificial Selection Positive and Negative Selection in Human Evolution #UGCNETAnthropology #UPSCAnthropology #BiologicalAnthropology #HumanEvolution #NETJRF