Question
If a population of medium sized rodents is placed under a selective pressure that yields both very large and very small individuals it was most likely _______.
a.
a stabilizing selection
b.
a disruptive selection
c.
a directional selection
d.
not a natural selection event
a.
a stabilizing selection
b.
a disruptive selection
c.
a directional selection
d.
not a natural selection event
Answers
GPT-4o mini
The correct answer is **b. a disruptive selection**.
Disruptive selection occurs when individuals at both extremes of a phenotypic range have a higher fitness than individuals with intermediate traits, which can lead to the emergence of distinct phenotypic groups in a population. In this case, the selective pressure that yields both very large and very small individuals indicates that those sizes are favored over medium-sized individuals.
Disruptive selection occurs when individuals at both extremes of a phenotypic range have a higher fitness than individuals with intermediate traits, which can lead to the emergence of distinct phenotypic groups in a population. In this case, the selective pressure that yields both very large and very small individuals indicates that those sizes are favored over medium-sized individuals.