Multiple Choice
Which principle of evolution explains that every organism alive today descended from ancestors who survived and reproduced?
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1. Introduction to Biology
Natural Selection and Evolution
Multiple Choice
Which pattern of natural selection favors individuals with intermediate phenotypes and reduces variation in a population?
A
Directional selection
B
Stabilizing selection
C
Balancing selection
D
Disruptive selection
Verified step by step guidance1
Understand the concept of natural selection: Natural selection is a process where individuals with certain traits are more likely to survive and reproduce. Different patterns of natural selection affect populations in distinct ways.
Define stabilizing selection: Stabilizing selection is a type of natural selection that favors individuals with intermediate phenotypes, reducing variation in the population by selecting against extreme traits.
Compare stabilizing selection to other types: Directional selection favors one extreme phenotype, disruptive selection favors both extreme phenotypes, and balancing selection maintains genetic diversity without favoring a specific phenotype.
Identify the key characteristic of stabilizing selection: It reduces variation by favoring the average phenotype and selecting against extremes, leading to a more uniform population.
Conclude that stabilizing selection is the correct answer because it matches the description of favoring intermediate phenotypes and reducing variation in the population.
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