In a bird population, 50% of the individuals had white feathers, and 50% had colored feathers. Over time, it was observed that 98% of the population had colorful feathers. The rest had white feathers. How did the type of selection in this example affect the population’s biodiversity?
Answer
A
Ecosystem selection did not increase the population’s biodiversity.
B
Stabilizing selection increased the population’s biodiversity.
C
Disruptive selection decreased the population’s biodiversity.
D
Directional selection did not increase the population’s biodiversity.
Explanation
The population shifted from an even split between white and colored feathers to 98% colorful feathers, so selection favored one type of trait. This is directional selection. Because one feather type became dominant and the population became less varied, directional selection did not increase the population’s biodiversity.
AI-written and checked against the verified answer.