In a population of mice, individuals with medium brown fur are less likely to be seen by predators than light brown and dark brown mice. What type of selection is this, and what would the distribution curve for the mouse population look like? (1 point)
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• stabilizing; two peaks at either end of the graph with a dip in the middle
• disruptive, a tall, narrow peak in the center of the graph
• disruptive; two peaks at either end of the graph with a dip in the middle
O stabilizing; a tall, narrow peak in the center of the graph
The correct answer is: disruptive; two peaks at either end of the graph with a dip in the middle.
In a population of mice where individuals with medium brown fur are less likely to be seen by predators than light brown and dark brown mice, disruptive selection would occur. This means that extreme variations (light brown and dark brown) would have higher fitness compared to the medium brown individuals. Over time, this could lead to the population splitting into two distinct groups, with light and dark brown mice being more abundant, and a decrease in the number of medium brown mice.
The distribution curve for the mouse population would show two peaks at either end, representing the light and dark brown mice, with a dip in the middle representing the medium brown mice. This is because individuals with these extreme phenotypes have higher fitness and are more likely to survive and reproduce, while the medium brown individuals are at a disadvantage and have lower fitness.