Frequency dependent selection

Frequency dependent selection is the term given to an evolutionary process where the fitness of a phenotype is dependent on the relative frequency of other phenotypes in a given population. In positive frequency dependent selection, the fitness of a phenotype increases as it becomes more common. In negative frequency dependent selection, the fitness of a phenotype decreases as it becomes more common. Frequency dependent selection is particular mechanism of balancing selection.

One example of negative frequency dependent selection is in the case of plant self-incompatibility alleles. When two plants share the same incompatibility allele, they are unable to mate. Thus, a plant with a new (and therefore, rare) allele has more success at mating, and its allele spreads quickly through the population.