Generated by All in One SEO v5.0.0.1, this is an llms.txt file, used by LLMs to index the site. # EvolutionBiology.com Evolution and biology science explained ## Sitemaps - [XML Sitemap](http://evolutionbiology.com/sitemap.xml): Contains all public & indexable URLs for this website. ## Posts - [Balancing selection](http://evolutionbiology.com/survival/balancing-selection/) - Balancing selection means that two alleles are maintained in the population because of natural selection. You would expect that one allele will provide higher fitness than the other, and therefore would outcompete the other allele. When there is balancing selection this does not happen, because the fitness is depended on the allele frequencies of the - [Creating superior corn with F1 hybrids and heterosis](http://evolutionbiology.com/techniques/creating-superior-corn-with-f1-hybrids-and-heterosis/) - For many crops certain strains are developed that are called "F1 hybrids". For example in corn, certain flowers and vegetables. The farmer or gardener sows these "F1 hybrid seeds" and will get a superior crop. The plants grown from these F1 hybrid seeds will generally do much better than traditional seeds and will have one - [The tag-recapture method to determine the population size](http://evolutionbiology.com/techniques/the-tag-recapture-method-to-determine-the-population-size/) - When you want to know the population size of a species, you can use the tag-recapture method to do so. This method is also called the mark-recapture method. This method only works in local populations, you will have to measure several populations separately to asses the total number of individuals on larger scales, like on - [What is torpor in mammals?](http://evolutionbiology.com/definitions/what-is-torpor-in-mammals/) - The maintenance of a high body temperature is a considerable cost for small endothermic animals. Small animals have a relatively large surface to volume ratio resulting in high heat loss during cold exposure, high mass-specific BMR in thermo-neutrality, high mass-specific energy expenditure during locomotion and a relatively small capacity for fat storage (Geiser et al. - [The costs and benefits of hibernation](http://evolutionbiology.com/definitions/the-costs-and-benefits-of-hibernation/) - Some animals hibernate to save energy in times of low energy intake, e.g. due to low food availability. What are the costs and benefits of hibernation? I'll explain in this short paper. What is hibernation? Hibernation is defined as a torpor bout that it is maintained for periods longer than 24 hours and it is - [Sexual reproduction](http://evolutionbiology.com/definitions/sexual-reproduction/) - Sexual reproduction is a way to reproduce that involves two parents, fertilization, recombination and meiosis. - [What does P, F1 and F2 mean?](http://evolutionbiology.com/definitions/what-does-f1-and-f2-mean/) - When displaying crossings between two parental organisms, the resulting offspring are referred to as F1. If those offspring are crossed between themselves, the resulting generation is called F2. If two individuals of the F2 generation are crossed, they produce the F3 generation. The first crossing is always called P for "Parentes". The F stands for - [Heterosis: the patterns and genetic basis](http://evolutionbiology.com/definitions/heterosis-the-patterns-and-genetic-basis/) - Heterosis is the phenomenon whereby first generation (F1) hybrids have higher trait values than their parents (Charlesworth and Willis 2009). These F1 hybrids can be produced by parents of different species that are able to hybridize, or of different populations or lines of the same species. Fitness measures like height, weight, stress tolerance, metabolic efficiency - [The speed of evolution](http://evolutionbiology.com/evolutionary-principles/speed-of-evolution/) - The speed of evolution is measured in genetic changes in a species over time. The speed can differ a lot between species and depends on many factors. - [How our body tells the time](http://evolutionbiology.com/chronobiology/how-our-body-tells-the-time/) - Check out the video below When I was studying biology at the University of Groningen, there was a whole department dedicated to chronobiology. It was super fascinating what they did there. They studied the sense of time of people and animals. The sense of time is very important, as it regulates alertness and activity in - [Methods to create more drought resistant Brassica varieties](http://evolutionbiology.com/articles/methods-to-create-more-drought-resistant-brassica-varieties/) - Methods to create more drought resistant Brassica varieties Written by Willem Dijkman and Linda van Zomeren, 2010. Supervised by dhr. T. Elzinga of the Rijksuniversiteit Groningen. Made in cooperation with Syngenta, Enkhuizen. Made as part of a students master program at the University of Groningen. Abstract Large parts of the world suffer from a lack - [Red Queen Principle](http://evolutionbiology.com/evolutionary-principles/red-queen-principle/) - The Red Queen Hypothesis states that species need to evolve continually to keep up with other evolving species in their environment. - [The double helix](http://evolutionbiology.com/dna/the-double-helix/) - The double helix is a DNA helix with two strands that wind around each other right-handedly. All organisms have their genetic code saved inside DNA molecules. - [What is eusocialism?](http://evolutionbiology.com/eusocialism/eusocialism/) - Eusociality means that a group of individuals of the same species work towards common goals benefitting the group, thereby forgoing reproduction of the workers. - [The recipe for evolution](http://evolutionbiology.com/evolutionary-principles/the-recipe-for-evolution/) - To get a species to evolve, you need only three ingredients and a lot of time: variation, inheritance and selection. - [The gene pool](http://evolutionbiology.com/definitions/the-gene-pool/) - The gene pool says something about the genetic variation of a population. It is important for population health and species survival. - [Asexual reproduction](http://evolutionbiology.com/definitions/asexual-reproduction/) - Asexual reproduction is the term for reproduction that only involves one parent individual. The parent produces an offspring without genetic contribution of another individual of its species. As a consequence the offspring does not have genes that are not present in the parent. The offspring can be genetically different than the parent because of mutation, - [The paradox of sexual reproduction](http://evolutionbiology.com/evolutionary-principles/the-paradox-of-sexual-reproduction/) - Sexual reproduction is widespread in nature, but it has many disadvantages over asexual reproduction. Why is sex still here? And what is the cost of sexual reproduction? - [Genetic diversity](http://evolutionbiology.com/definitions/genetic-diversity/) - Genetic diversity is the term for the diversity of the genetic material in a population or species. More different genes means a higher genetic diversity. - [The evolution of eusociality](http://evolutionbiology.com/eusocialism/the-evolution-of-eusociality/) - If there is a gene that makes you eusocial, making you raise the offspring of other individuals, how does it spread? How can your eusocial gene end up in the next generation, if the carrier of the gene does not reproduce? And how is it possible that a gene that makes a worker produce a - [Estivation in desert mammals to cope with aridity](http://evolutionbiology.com/definitions/estivation-in-desert-mammals-to-cope-with-aridity/) - Low food availability and high energy expenditure are not exclusively found in cold winter climates, but can also occur in hot, dry climates in summer. Desert ecosystems face a shortage of water in the dry season, which is accompanied by a shortage of food for many animals. Most plants do not grow, seed or fruit - [The effect of testosterone injections on aggression and begging behaviour of black headed gull chicks](http://evolutionbiology.com/articles/the-effect-of-testosterone-injections-on-aggression-and-begging-behaviour-of-black-headed-gull-chicks/) - I wrote this article as part of my Bachelor of Science study at the University or Groningen in 2009. You can download the whole PDF below for free. Abstract of the article Although testosterone plays an important role in complex social behaviour, the effects of this hormone on developing avian chicks remain rather unclear. Previous - [Sex ratio distorters in European Nasonia vitripennis populations](http://evolutionbiology.com/articles/sex-ratio-distorters-in-european-nasonia-vitripennis-populations/) - I have written this article as my Master Project for the Master Ecology and Evolution at the University of Groningen in 2010. You can download the PDF below. Abstract of "Sex ratio distorters in European Nasonia vitripennis populations" Sex ratio distorters are found in many organisms, including in the jewel wasp Nasonia vitripennis. Although this - [Life history traits of the lugworm Arenicola marina](http://evolutionbiology.com/articles/life-history-traits-of-the-lugworm-arenicola-marina/) - I have written this article in 2009 as part of my Bachelor on Evolutionary Biology at the University of Groningen. This essay aims at providing some basic information about Arenicola marina. Abstract The lugworm Arenicola marina is an important biosystem engineer found on the muddy shores on the west coast op Europe. This 15 – 25 cm - [The sex determination mechanism of the parasitoid wasp Nasonia vitripennis](http://evolutionbiology.com/articles/the-sex-determination-mechanism-of-the-parasitoid-wasp-nasonia-vitripennis/) - I have written this article in 2008 about the research project I did for my Bachelor of Science, Evolutionary Biology Program, at the University of Groningen. You can download the full version as PDF below. Abstract of: "The sex determination mechanism of the parasitoid wasp Nasonia vitripennis" There are many different sex-determining mechanisms known in ## Pages - [I'm a webecologist](http://evolutionbiology.com/im-a-webecologist/) - A what? Yes, a webecologist. I study the online ecosystem. Nah, just kidding. Sort of. I have a master's degree in Ecology and Evolution, but my occupation is web designer. I build and design Wordpress websites for small businesses. There is not really a relation between my job and my studies. What they have in - [Evolutionary Principles](http://evolutionbiology.com/evolutionary-principles/) - I love learning about evolution. It's such an amazing process. Happening all around us, but in such a slow pace it's hard to notice. Until you start looking more into it, then you will see evolution's effects everywhere. Check out my articles on Evolution at Evolutionary Principles. Want to know a bit more about me? - [the Scientific Method](http://evolutionbiology.com/the-scientific-method/) - Actually the title should be in golden letters. And sparkle. Because the Scientific Method is what makes science different from speculation, religion and story-telling. The Scientific Method describes that you will use evidence, measurements and experiments to gain knowledge about the world. Philosophers can think of new possibilities and scientists can think up new hypotheses, ## Categories - [Eusocialism](http://evolutionbiology.com/category/eusocialism/) - [Evolutionary principles](http://evolutionbiology.com/category/evolutionary-principles/) - [Survival](http://evolutionbiology.com/category/survival/) - [DNA](http://evolutionbiology.com/category/dna/) - [Definitions](http://evolutionbiology.com/category/definitions/) - [Energy Management](http://evolutionbiology.com/category/energy-management/) - [Papers](http://evolutionbiology.com/category/articles/) - [Chronobiology](http://evolutionbiology.com/category/chronobiology/) - [Techniques](http://evolutionbiology.com/category/techniques/) ## Tags - [hibernation](http://evolutionbiology.com/tag/hibernation/) - [desert](http://evolutionbiology.com/tag/desert/) - [glis glis](http://evolutionbiology.com/tag/glis-glis/) - [dormouse](http://evolutionbiology.com/tag/dormouse/) - [energy saving](http://evolutionbiology.com/tag/energy-saving/) - [winter sleep](http://evolutionbiology.com/tag/winter-sleep/) - [torpor](http://evolutionbiology.com/tag/torpor/) - [sleep](http://evolutionbiology.com/tag/sleep/) - [rest](http://evolutionbiology.com/tag/rest/) - [mammals](http://evolutionbiology.com/tag/mammals/) - [selection](http://evolutionbiology.com/tag/selection/) - [balancing](http://evolutionbiology.com/tag/balancing/) - [genes](http://evolutionbiology.com/tag/genes/) - [eusociality](http://evolutionbiology.com/tag/eusociality/) - [ants](http://evolutionbiology.com/tag/ants/) - [bees](http://evolutionbiology.com/tag/bees/) - [social](http://evolutionbiology.com/tag/social/) - [evolution](http://evolutionbiology.com/tag/evolution/) - [articles](http://evolutionbiology.com/tag/articles/) - [black-headed gulls](http://evolutionbiology.com/tag/black-headed-gulls/) - [hormones](http://evolutionbiology.com/tag/hormones/) - [worms](http://evolutionbiology.com/tag/worms/)