Mathematics of Natural Selection Quick Check
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Question
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?(1 point)
Responses
directional selection; the curve would shift to the left
directional selection; the curve would shift to the left
stabilizing selection; the curve would become shorter in the middle
stabilizing selection; the curve would become shorter in the middle
stabilizing selection; the curve would become taller in the middle
stabilizing selection; the curve would become taller in the middle
directional selection; the curve would shift to the right
directional selection; the curve would shift to the right
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1 answer
The correct response is:
directional selection; the curve would shift to the right.
In this scenario, as female reindeer give birth to larger offspring over generations, the average size of the offspring increases. This leads to a shift in the distribution curve towards the right, indicating that larger sizes are becoming more prevalent in the population. Directional selection favors the trait of larger offspring, resulting in this change over time.
