Question

In a given environment, dark-colored moths are selected because they stand out to predators against the predominantly light-colored foliage. This causes a shift in the overall genetic makeup of the moth population away from the dark-colored phenotype. This is an example of what type of selection?

Answer 1

Directional selection

Step-by-step explanation:

Directional selection is a mode of natural selection in which a phenotype is favoured among other phenotypes and therefore the population with the phenotype favoured increases over time to optimize their chances of survival.

This selection usually requires a force in nature that causes a population to evolve towards one end of a trait spectrum.

In this example, dark-colored moths are selected by predators because they stand out to predators against the light-colored foliage. Therefore, this force in nature causes moths to change their phenotype and it shifts away from the dark-colored phenotype in order to increase their chances of survival so that predators do not predate them as easily because they won't stand out against the light-colored foliage.

Thus this is an example of directional selection.