Studies of Galapagos finches have found that at certain points in time all finches on the island have either wide beaks or sharp narrow beaks.The type of evolution that leads to this phenotype distribution is _______ selection.

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Disruptive selection is when extreme values of a trait are favored over intermediate values, leading to a bimodal distribution of phenotypes. In the case of the Galapagos finches, at certain times there may be two distinct food sources that require different beak sizes, selecting for either wide or narrow beaks and leading to a bimodal distribution of beak sizes.

Studies of Galapagos Finches Have Found That at Certain Points