Biology / Unit 8 Bio 1775 short lesson, about 20 seconds
Disruptive (Diversifying) Selection
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The idea
Disruptive, or diversifying, selection favors two or more phenotypic extremes simultaneously while selecting against the intermediate phenotype, increasing overall population variation.
In practice
Beach-dwelling mice colored to match either sand or grass patches survive better than intermediate-colored mice that blend with neither.
Where people slip
Disruptive selection increases variation by favoring extremes together — this is the opposite outcome from stabilizing selection's single favored average.
Your place on the trail
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