true08/24/2023Natural selection is usually understood in the context of change. When organisms deviate from the norm, they may gain advantages that let their lineages outlast those of their less-adaptable relatives. But new research from Michigan State University suggests that natural selection also has the power to keep things the same. MSU plant biologist Jeff Conner and his team have published a new report in the journal New Phytologist that expands science’s understanding of natural selection in the face of another evolutionary mechanism called genetic constraint.

• This finding 'flips the script,' showing selection could lead to similarities as well as differences.
• The research was described as a fascinating project that challenged long-standing assumptions in evolutionary biology.
• This research could inspire future studies to benefit scientists and farmers across the globe.

Matt DavenportKBSW.K. Kellogg Biological Stationeebevolutionary biologyplant biology