In a population of mice, individuals with medium brown fur are less likely to be seen by predators than light brown and dark brown mice. What type of selection is this, and what would the distribution curve for the mouse population look like?(1 point)

Question

In a population of mice, individuals with medium brown fur are less likely to be seen by predators than light brown and dark brown mice. What type of selection is this, and what would the distribution curve for the mouse population look like?(1 point)
Responses

stabilizing; two peaks at either end of the graph with a dip in the middle
stabilizing; two peaks at either end of the graph with a dip in the middle

disruptive; a tall, narrow peak in the center of the graph
disruptive; a tall, narrow peak in the center of the graph

disruptive; two peaks at either end of the graph with a dip in the middle
disruptive; two peaks at either end of the graph with a dip in the middle

stabilizing; a tall, narrow peak in the center of the graph

GPT-4o mini · Answer

The correct answer is: **disruptive; two peaks at either end of the graph with a dip in the middle.** Disruptive selection occurs when individuals at both extremes of the phenotypic spectrum (in this case, light brown and dark brown fur) have a selective advantage over individuals with intermediate phenotypes (medium brown fur). As a result, the distribution curve for the mouse population would show two peaks at either end, reflecting the higher fitness of the extreme fur colors, and a dip in the middle representing the reduced fitness of the medium-colored mice.