Question

A population of mosquitoes has an average wingspan of 6.5 mm. Following an especially wet summer, the local bird community experiences a population surge, resulting in more mosquito predators. Small size enables greater chances of survival facing these predators. As a result, the next year, the average wingspan of the mosquito population is 4.1 mm. This is an example of:

Answer 1

Answer: c. directional selection.

Explanation:

Directional selection is considered a force in nature that allows for a specie to evolve towards one end of a trait spectrum. When that happens overtime, the selected traits (shorter wingspan of 4.1mm) will be permanently more than the traits opposed (longer wingspan of 6.5mm).

Answer 2

Answer:Natural selection

Explanation:Natural selection is a concept based on Darwin's theory of evolution, according to this theory organisms who can best adapt to their ever changing environment are likely to survive and pass their strong genetic characters to the next generation. Those organism that finds it hard to adapt get eliminated and their characteristics dies out .

This is the reason we see an increased population of 4.1mm average wingspan mosquitoes whilst initially the population had 6.5 mm average wingspan.

"Small size enables greater chances of survival facing these predators"