LS4.B Flashcard

Front

What is stabilizing selection?

Back

A type of natural selection that favors intermediate phenotypes, reducing variation in a population.

Front

How does stabilizing selection affect genetic variation?

Back

It decreases genetic variation by favoring intermediate phenotypes.

Front

What is disruptive selection?

Back

A type of natural selection that favors individuals with extreme phenotypes at both ends of the spectrum.

Front

How does disruptive selection affect a population?

Back

It favors individuals with extreme phenotypes, potentially leading to increased genetic diversity.

Front

What is directional selection?

Back

A type of natural selection that favors one extreme phenotype over others, causing a shift in the population's traits.

Front

Provide an example of directional selection.

Back

A population of moths where darker coloration becomes more common due to pollution.

Front

What is natural selection?

Back

The process by which individuals with favorable traits are more likely to survive and reproduce.

Front

How can natural selection lead to speciation?

Back

Natural selection can lead to the accumulation of differences between populations, eventually resulting in speciation.

Front

What is adaptation in the context of natural selection?

Back

A trait that increases an organism's fitness in a specific environment.

Front

How does natural selection lead to adaptation in a population?

Back

Natural selection favors individuals with traits that increase their fitness in a specific environment.