Question

Natural and artificial selection depend on genetic and phenotypic variation. In natural selection, the selective pressure comes from the environment, and in artificial selection it comes from the human breeder. Suppose a breeder of pigeons has a population of birds with feather pigments that range from light to intermediate to dark. She selectively breeds the pigeons with intermediate pigmentation. After several generations, which pattern of evolutionary change will be observed among the pigeons? A. disruptive selection, in which pigeons with dark pigmentation are favored. B. stabilizing selection, in which pigeons with intermediate pigmentation are favored. C. directional selection, in which pigeons with dark pigmentation are favored. D. directional selection, in which pigeons with intermediate pigmentation are favored.

Answer 1

B) option is correct

Explanation:

Natural selection is a selection pressure which operates in a population and allow the best fitted genotype to survive in changing environmental conditions and eliminate the other genotype which are not fit

In artificial selection, breeders select superior breed for the breeding purpose so that this type of selection favors the superior genotype and eliminates inferior genotype, thus leading to genetic drift

Stabilizing selection is a type of natural selection in which intermediate genotype is favored but extreme genotypes (inferior and superior) are eliminated

In the given example of pigmentation in pigeons, breeding is selectively done with intermediate pigmentation hence intermediate genotypes will be favored