Adaptation and Natural Selection

Selection Coefficient

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For the notion of "selection coefficient", which appears without definition or explanation, see the following sites:

Mark Ridley, Evolution (Tutorials are excellent and useful): http://www.blackwellpublishing.com/ridley/tutorials/The_theory_of_natural_selection__part_1_11.asp

http://www.blackwellpublishing.com/ridley/a-z/Selection_coefficient.asp

In a word, selection coefficient s is a measure of unfavorableness for a gene in relation to other genes in the same locus. Supposing there are two types of gene, and one gene survives to the next generation whereas the other gene is somewhat unfavorable; this may be expressed by the relative chance of survival of each: 1 to 1 - s. This s is selection coefficient.

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