Over generations, female reindeer in a finnish population give birth to larger offspring. Which type of selection is occurring, and how would a distribution curve for this trait change over time?

Answer 1

This is an example of directional selection, where individuals at one extreme of a trait are favored over individuals at the other extreme. In this case, female reindeer that give birth to larger offspring have a higher chance of survival and reproductive success, leading to the increase of this trait in the population over time.

As a result of this directional selection, the distribution curve for the size of offspring in the population would shift to the right over time, showing an increase in the average size of offspring. The curve would become more skewed towards the larger end of the spectrum, with fewer individuals giving birth to smaller offspring.