During a drought on Daphne Major, ground finches with thinner beaks would have been at an advantage over the birds that lacked this trait. However, because beak depth was favored by natural selection, beak width also increased. This is an example of how selection on one character can cause other characters to change in a ________ direction.
A) positively correlated
B) fixated
C) maladaptive
D) plastic

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

This is because beak depth and beak width are positively correlated, meaning that an increase in one trait leads to an increase in the other. Therefore, as beak depth was selected for, beak width also increased in a positively correlated direction.

During a Drought on Daphne Major, Ground Finches with Thinner