Quiz on Stabilizing Natural Selection

During a biology class, Oliver, Thomas, and Charlotte were discussing about natural selection. They came across the term 'stabilizing natural selection'. What does it mean in this context?

• It means that all individuals in a population will be eliminated

• It means that extreme traits in a population will become more common

• It means that only the strongest individuals in a population will be affected

• It means that the average individuals in a population will be favored

Aarav, Lucas, and Priya are studying the concept of stabilizing selection in their biology class. Their teacher explains it using the example of human height. How would you explain this concept to them?

• Stabilizing selection, in this case, would favor the shortest people in the population, leading to a significant increase in genetic diversity.

• Stabilizing selection, in this case, would favor people of average height in the population, leading to a reduction in genetic diversity.

• Stabilizing selection, in this case, would favor the most unique heights in the population, leading to a complete elimination of genetic diversity.

• Stabilizing selection, in this case, would favor the tallest people in the population, leading to increased genetic diversity.

Owen, Ethan, and Kiara are studying evolution and they come across the terms 'directional selection' and 'stabilizing selection'. They are trying to understand the difference between the two. Can you explain it to them in terms of bird beak sizes, where beak size is the trait under selection?

• Directional selection would be like if birds with larger beaks were more successful, leading to an increase in the average beak size over time, while stabilizing selection would be if birds with medium-sized beaks were the most successful, leading to a decrease in variation in beak size over time.

• Directional selection would be like if birds with both extremely large and extremely small beaks were equally successful.

• Directional selection would be like if birds with medium-sized beaks were the most successful.

• Stabilizing selection would be like if birds with the least common beak size were the most successful.

Alexander, Aarav, and James are observing a bird population in their city. They notice a pattern that could be described as disruptive selection. What could be the impact of this on the bird population?

• Disruptive selection results in the blending of all bird phenotypes within the population.

• Disruptive selection leads to the evolution of two distinct bird phenotypes within the population.

• Disruptive selection leads to the extinction of all bird phenotypes within the population.

• Disruptive selection has no impact on the bird phenotypes within the population.

Amelia, Priya, and Daniel are studying the impact of stabilizing, disruptive, and directional natural selection on a deer population in a forest. They are particularly interested in understanding how these types of selection maintain genetic diversity in the population. How does stabilizing disruptive directional natural selection maintain genetic diversity in this deer population?

• By reducing the rate of genetic mutations in the deer population

• By favoring deer with extreme phenotypes

• By favoring deer with intermediate phenotypes

• By promoting inbreeding among the deer

Aiden, Samuel, and Charlotte are studying different animals and their adaptations for a school project. They are discussing stabilizing selection in nature. Can you help them by providing an example of this?

• Aiden suggests that the giraffe is an example of stabilizing selection in nature, where the longest neck provides the best advantage for reaching high leaves.

• Samuel thinks that the polar bear is an example of stabilizing selection in nature, where its white fur provides the best camouflage in the snow.

• Charlotte believes that the chameleon is an example of stabilizing selection in nature, where its ability to change color provides the best camouflage in different environments.

• Or is it the peppered moth (Biston betularia) that is an example of stabilizing selection in nature, where the intermediate coloration of the moth provides the best camouflage against predators?

Eesha, Emily, and Anaya are studying biology and they come across a concept of stabilizing selection. They learn that it is a type of natural selection that favors the intermediate variants. Can you help them understand what factors contribute to this type of selection in a population of butterflies where the intermediate colored butterflies have the highest survival rate?

• Reduction in genetic variation and favoring the intermediate phenotype

• No impact on genetic variation and favoring extreme phenotype

• Increase in genetic variation and favoring extreme phenotype

• Reduction in genetic variation and favoring the extreme phenotype

During a biology class, Addison, Abigail, and William were discussing the concepts of stabilizing selection and disruptive selection. They were trying to understand these concepts in the context of a bird species where some birds have long beaks, some have short beaks, and others have medium-sized beaks. Can you help them understand the difference between stabilizing selection and disruptive selection in this context?

• Stabilizing selection would favor the birds with the longest and shortest beaks

• Disruptive selection would favor the birds with medium-sized beaks, maintaining the status quo

• Stabilizing selection would favor the birds with medium-sized beaks, maintaining the status quo, while disruptive selection would favor the birds with the longest and shortest beaks.

• Stabilizing selection would favor the birds with medium-sized beaks

Scarlett, Alexander, and Avery are studying evolutionary biology. They are observing a population of birds in their local park. They notice that birds with medium-sized beaks are more common than those with very small or very large beaks. Discuss the role of stabilizing selection in this scenario.

• Stabilizing selection maintains the status quo by favoring the intermediate phenotypes.

• Stabilizing selection has no impact on maintaining genetic diversity

• Stabilizing selection leads to extreme phenotypes becoming more common

• Stabilizing selection always results in the evolution of new traits

Amelia, Rohan, and Oliver are studying the population of rabbits in their local park. They notice that the rabbits with medium-sized ears survive better than those with very long or very short ears. How does this observation relate to stabilizing selection in the maintenance of a balanced phenotype in a population?

• It illustrates stabilizing selection by favoring intermediate variants (medium-sized ears) and reducing extremes (very long or short ears)

• It illustrates stabilizing selection by favoring the most extreme variants (very long or short ears) and eliminating intermediates (medium-sized ears)

• It illustrates stabilizing selection by randomly selecting for any phenotype within the rabbit population

• It illustrates stabilizing selection by favoring the oldest variants (very long or short ears) and eliminating newer ones (medium-sized ears)