Question

question 10
what type of natural selection favors the extremes of a trait and eliminates the average or median trait?
disruptive selection
random selection
directional selection
stabilizing selection

Explanation:

• Disruptive selection: Favors extreme phenotypes over the average. For example, in a population of snails, if light - colored snails are camouflaged in a light - colored environment and dark - colored snails are camouflaged in a dark environment, but medium - colored snails are easily spotted by predators.
• Random selection: Not a type of natural selection. Natural selection is a non - random process based on fitness.
• Directional selection: Favors one extreme phenotype. For instance, if in a population of moths, darker moths are favored (due to industrial pollution darkening the trees they rest on) over lighter ones.
• Stabilizing selection: Favors the average phenotype. Like in human birth weight, very low or very high birth weights are less likely to survive compared to the average.

Answer:

Disruptive selection