While all giraffes are tall they are not all the exact same height. Within a population, the height of each individual giraffe can vary. Scientists observe that over many generations the average height of the giraffe population is increasing. They believe this in response to trees producing fewer leaves on lower branches, meaning the giraffes' main food source is higher up.

Question

What kind of selection is this an example of?

(1 point)
Responses

Disruptive Selection
Disruptive Selection

Stabilizing Selection
Stabilizing Selection

Directional Selection
Directional Selection

Directional Selection and Disruptive Selection

Answer 1

This scenario describes Directional Selection. This type of selection occurs when one extreme phenotype (in this case, taller giraffes) is favored over others due to changes in the environment or resource availability (like trees producing fewer leaves on lower branches). As a result, the average height of the giraffe population increases over generations.

So the correct answer is:

Directional Selection