Read the statement below, and then answer the following question(s).
A small population of deer is introduced to an island. All the males have 11 to 13 points on their antlers.
-If after several generations 30 percent of the males have antlers with 9 to 11 points,40 percent have antlers with 15 to 17 points,and 20 percent have antlers with 12 to 14 points,this development will have been the result of:

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Disruptive selection occurs when extreme traits are favored over intermediate traits, and can result in the splitting of a population into two distinct groups. In this case, the population of males with antlers has split into three distinct groups based on the number of points on their antlers: 9-11, 12-14, and 15-17. This is not the result of directional selection because there is no clear shift towards one particular trait, nor is it stabilizing selection because the intermediate trait is not being favored. Finally, founder effect occurs when a small group of individuals establishes a new population with limited genetic diversity, which is not applicable in this scenario.

Read the Statement Below, and Then Answer the Following Question(s)