Stabilizing selection favors which of the following traits?

Stabilizing selection favors which of the following traits?

• A. Extreme phenotypes
• B. Intermediate phenotypes
• C. Phenotypes that are completely neutral
• D. All phenotypes equally

Answer: (B)

Stabilizing selection is a type of natural selection that favors individuals with intermediate traits rather than those with extreme phenotypes. This process leads to a decrease in phenotypic variation and maintains the status quo of a certain trait within a population. For example, in the case of birth weight in humans, very low or very high birth weights are associated with higher mortality rates, while those with weights closer to the average have a better chance of survival and reproductive success. Thus, stabilizing selection acts to enhance the survival of individuals that display characteristics close to the mean of a given trait, resulting in the predominance of intermediate phenotypes in a population over time.

Stabilizing selection is a type of natural selection that favors individuals with intermediate traits rather than those with extreme phenotypes. This process leads to a decrease in phenotypic variation and maintains the status quo of a certain trait within a population. For example, in the case of birth weight in humans, very low or very high birth weights are associated with higher mortality rates, while those with weights closer to the average have a better chance of survival and reproductive success. Thus, stabilizing selection acts to enhance the survival of individuals that display characteristics close to the mean of a given trait, resulting in the predominance of intermediate phenotypes in a population over time.