Biology Exam 3 Lecture 2

03/30/2015

Directional selection individuals at one extreme of a character

distribution contribute more offspring to the next generation
Can be positive or negative directional selection
Stabilizing selection is when the mean phenotype has the highest
fitness and individuals with extreme phenotypes have the lowest fitness
It reduces variation in populations, but does not change the mean.
Disruptive selection individuals at opposite extremes of a character
distribution contribute more offspring to the next generation.
Increases variation
Positive frequency-dependent selection the fitness of a phenotype
increases as it becomes more common
Distinct from stabilizing selection any phenotype (not just
intermediate phenotype) could be favored if its the most common
Negative frequency-dependent selection (balancing selection): Fitness
of a phenotype decreases as it becomes more common
Leads to maintenance of polymorphism over time