A study of Galápagos finches after a long period of drought found that all species of finch on one of the islands had wide beaks well adapted to break open seeds.The type of evolution that leads to this phenotype distribution is ________ selection.

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Directional selection favors individuals with extreme phenotypes, leading to a shift in the population towards one extreme. In this case, the drought conditions would have selected for individuals with wider beaks well adapted to breaking open tough seeds, leading to a higher frequency of this trait in the population.

A Study of Galápagos Finches After a Long Period of Drought