Mathematics of Natural Selection Quick Check
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Question
Paleontologists observed changes in the sizes of black bears as their environment changed. During warmer periods between ice ages, most black bears were small. During ice ages, most black bears were large. Which type of selection is this, and how would a graph of the distribution curve of black bear size change as Earth moved out of an ice age?(1 point)
Responses
stabilizing; the curve would become taller in the middle and shorter on each side
stabilizing; the curve would become taller in the middle and shorter on each side
directional; the curve would shift to the right
directional; the curve would shift to the right
directional; the curve would shift to the left
directional; the curve would shift to the left
disruptive; the curve would break into two peaks with a dip in the middle
disruptive; the curve would break into two peaks with a dip in the middle
1 answer
During Earth moving out of an ice age, the black bears will start becoming smaller again as the environment warms up, leading to a shift in the distribution curve to the right towards smaller sizes. This is an example of directional selection.