Question

Pine trees that are too tall or too short do not do as well as pine trees that are average in height. The short trees do not get as much light as tall or average trees. The tall trees are more likely to break off in storms. Tell how this is an example of stabilizing selection. Be sure to define stabilizing selection in your answer. Your response must be at least 75 words in length.

Answer 1

Ans: Stabilizing selection is that type of natural selection in which the mean or intermediate value of a trait is selected over the extreme values. Here, average height is mean value and very tall and very are extreme values.

Now, as we can see in example that, short trees do not get much light, so they could not do sufficient photosynthesis. Hence, will be eliminated. Tall plants get much light but they break off in storms and hence, are eliminated by nature. However, the average plants get enough light for photosynthesis and they dont break off in storms. hence, generation after generation, amount of average height plants will increase and that of very tall and very plants will decrease. Hence, stabilizing selection is occuring.