While studying gull egg laying abilities a researcher noted that the birds laid an average of 7 - 9 eggs per clutch at the beginning of the study.After studying the population for 15 generations the researcher noted that the birds now laid an average of 3- 4 eggs per clutch.What type of natural selection is occurring in the population of gulls?

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Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Stabilizing selection occurs when individuals with intermediate traits have higher fitness than those with extreme traits. In this case, the gulls that lay an intermediate number of eggs (between 3 and 9) may have higher fitness than those laying fewer or more eggs. Over time, this could lead to the population evolving to have an average clutch size in the intermediate range.

While Studying Gull Egg Laying Abilities a Researcher Noted That