SCIENCE; MATHEMATICS OF NATURAL SELECTION QUICK CHECK.
RESEARCHES PLOTTED A DISTRIBUTION CURVE FOR LEG LENGH IN A POPULATION OF BIRDS, WITH LENGTH FROM SHORT TO LONG ON THE X-AXIS. THE CURVE SHIFTS TO THE RIGHT AFTERD A DISTURBANCE. WHICH STATEMENT IS CORRECT ABOUT NATURAL SELECTION IN THIS POPULATION OF BIRDS?
1. BIRDS WITHH LONG LEGS WERE SELECTED FOR.
2. BIRDS WITH SHORT LEGS WERE SELECTED FOR.
3. BIRDS WITH LONG LEGS AND BIRDS WITH SHORT LEGS WERE SELECTED FOR.
4. BIRDS WITH MEDIUM-LENGTH LEGS WERE SELECTED FOR.
The correct answer is 4. Birds with medium-length legs were selected for.
When a distribution curve shifts to the right, it means that there is an increase in the average value or characteristic being measured. In this case, after the disturbance, it means that birds with longer legs had a higher probability of surviving and reproducing, leading to more offspring with longer legs. However, it does not necessarily mean that birds with the longest legs were exclusively selected for. Similarly, birds with shorter legs may have a lower probability of survival and reproductive success, but they were not necessarily completely selected against. Therefore, the population of birds selected for in this scenario is likely to have medium-length legs.