In the study of Gigord and colleagues using Elderflower orchids,the allele frequencies of yellow and purple flowers varied such that when the yellow allele started to become rare,the reproductive success of purple flowers decreased and the reproductive success of yellow-flowered individuals increased in a process known as ________.
A) overdominance
B) frequency-dependent selection
C) underdominance
D) Hardy-Weinberg stabilization
E) frequency depression

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The described process is known as frequency-dependent selection, where the fitness of a particular allele or phenotype depends on its frequency in the population. As the yellow allele became rare, it experienced a fitness advantage, while the purple allele had decreased reproductive success. This is an example of negative frequency-dependent selection, where the fitness of a phenotype decreases as its frequency in the population increases.

In the Study of Gigord and Colleagues Using Elderflower Orchids,the