Question

question 8 of 25
coat color in timber wolves ranges from white to gray to black. in forests and grasslands, shades of gray fur blend in with the vegetation better than white or black fur. white- or black-furred individuals are sometimes driven out of their packs and are rarely allowed to mate. as a result, the majority of wolves have gray fur.

what form of selection has taken place in this population?
○ disruptive or diversifying selection
○ frequency - dependent selection
○ directional selection
○ stabilizing selection

Explanation:

Stabilizing selection favors intermediate phenotypes (gray fur here) by selecting against extreme phenotypes (white or black fur). The gray wolves have higher survival/mating success, leading to their dominance in the population, which matches the definition of stabilizing selection.

Answer:

stabilizing selection