Blue poppies native to China were grown at a plant-breeding center in California. The plants with the thickest leaves were most
likely to survive and reproduce in the drier climate. After several generations, the percentage of thick-leaved plants had increased by 42%. This adaptation of the poppies to their new environment is due to _____. See Concept 23.4 (Page 495)
Here, blue poppies which belonged to China were grown in drier climate of California. Plants who live in drier areas generally have thicker leaves to preserve water. Hence the blue poppies leaves also started to become thick and after several generations thick leaved plants had increased by 42%.
This phenomena would come under directional selection. In directional selection, one of the extreme phenotypes is preferred to adapt better to the environment. Here neither thin leaves were selected nor average leaves were selected, rather the selection preferred thick leaves which lies on other end of spectrum. Hence, this is an example of directional selection.
