The article discusses how skewed distributions of traits in nature can affect natural selection and evolution, leading to unexpected results. Mathematical modeling shows that even when a trait's mean doesn't change, directional selection can still occur if the distribution is skewed. Skewed environmental effects can cause selection in the opposite direction, while skewed breeding values can move the mean phenotype away from the optimum, causing directional selection towards the skew. These effects can be identified using alternative selection estimates. The study suggests that many traits in nature have skewed distributions, like avian laying date, which can impact evolutionary dynamics and should be considered in research.