Biology / Unit 8 Bio 1771 short lesson, about 20 seconds
Stabilizing Selection
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The idea
Stabilizing selection favors individuals near a population's average phenotype and selects against both extremes, reducing overall phenotypic variation over time.
In practice
Mice whose fur color most closely matches the forest floor's average shade survive better than noticeably lighter or darker mice.
Where people slip
Stabilizing selection decreases variation around a stable average — it does not shift the average phenotype in any new direction.
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