The concept of "survival of the fittest" is so well known that we sometimes forget it's only one small part of the process of evolution. We pitiful humans know that sometimes the fittest don't survive, or that many non-fit people live on to procreate like bunnies. But stepping away from our own special bubble, there are processes in nature that drive a species toward change that have nothing to do with how well an animal can evade predators or attract mates. One of these processes is neutral selection.

What is it, and how does it work? Science in Seconds delves in.

<sub>Host: Rheanna Sand

Photo Credits: Wikimedia commons users Orem, JessicaGold, Drgnu23, Katonams; PLoS Biology.

References:

Berglund J, Pollard KS, Webster MT. Hotspots of Biased Nucleotide Substitutions in Human Genes. PLoS Biology, 2009; 7 (1): e26 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.1000026

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/01/090126203207.htm

http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_is_neutral_selection</sub>