The relationship between the presence of malaria and high frequencies of the disease-causing HbS allele in Africa is an example of which type of selection?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Balancing selection is at play here because the heterozygous genotype (carrying one normal allele and one sickle-cell allele) confers a survival advantage in malaria-endemic regions, maintaining the frequency of the HbS allele in the population.

The Relationship Between the Presence of Malaria and High Frequencies