Question

page 9 of 50
question 9 (mandatory) (2 points)
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ancestors of the galàpagos finches had two different types of seeds to eat on some islands. some seeds were very small, and required small beaks to handle, while other seeds were very large and required large strong beaks to crack. this led to ________ among the galàpagos finches.
sexual selection
disruptive selection
stabilizing selection
artificial selection
directional selection

Explanation:

Disruptive selection occurs when extreme phenotypes (in this case, small beaks for small seeds and large strong beaks for large seeds) are favored over intermediate phenotypes, leading to a split in the population's traits. Sexual selection relates to traits for mating success, stabilizing selection favors intermediate traits, artificial selection is human-driven, and directional selection favors one extreme phenotype over the other. The scenario matches disruptive selection as two distinct extreme beak sizes are favored.

Answer:

B. disruptive selection