Why does the fitness of a phenotype depend on frequency-dependent selection?
A) Because selection favors the least common phenotype.
B) Because the least number of alleles are at that locus.
C) Because sexual selection produces dimorphism.
D) Because frequency-dependent selection acts against extreme phenotypes.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Frequency-dependent selection acts against extreme phenotypes, meaning that the fitness of a phenotype will depend on how common or rare it is in a population. This leads to a balance between different phenotypes, where no one phenotype is favored over the others in the long term. Therefore, if a phenotype becomes too common, it will experience negative frequency-dependent selection, which will reduce its fitness and favor other, less common phenotypes. This is why the fitness of a phenotype depends on frequency-dependent selection.

Why Does the Fitness of a Phenotype Depend on Frequency-Dependent