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Reference.org
Robustness (evolution)
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<p> In <a href="/facts/Evolutionary_biology/8tBoG55U">evolutionary biology</a>, robustness of a <a href="/facts/Biological_system/yKqVbaxu">biological system</a> (also called biological or genetic robustness) is the persistence of a certain characteristic or trait in a system under perturbations or conditions of uncertainty. Robustness in development is known as <a href="/facts/Canalisation_(genetics)/RcBANEUY">canalization</a>. According to the kind of perturbation involved, robustness can be classified as <a href="/facts/Mutation/Ee4NnWbY">mutational</a>, <a href="/facts/Environment_(biophysical)/PNzMrGrz">environmental</a>, <a href="/facts/Genetic_recombination/uocNH0m7">recombinational</a>, or <a href="/facts/Behavior/0Y1VqmVX">behavioral</a> robustness <i>etc</i>. Robustness is achieved through the combination of many <a href="/facts/Genetics/bu8wne0A">genetic</a> and <a href="/facts/Molecular_biology/YgqU35ub">molecular mechanisms</a> and can <a href="/facts/Evolution/Hj0qAaBk">evolve</a> by either direct or indirect <a href="/facts/Natural_selection/JXTte6en">selection</a>. Several <a href="/facts/Model_organism/vNv6q4yb">model systems</a> have been developed to experimentally study robustness and its evolutionary consequences.</p>