218k views
4 votes
How do the strength of selection and the heritability affect the response to selection?

1) Only the strength of selection influences the response to selection; heritability has no affect.
2) As the values increase, the response to selection decreases.
3) As the values increase, the responses to selection increases.
4) Strength of selection and heritability do not affect the response to selection.

User Kohjakob
by
7.8k points

1 Answer

4 votes

Final answer:

The response to selection is influenced by both the strength of selection and the heritability. A strong selection and high heritability can result in a rapid response to selection and vice versa. The correct option is 3) As the values increase, the responses to selection increase.

Step-by-step explanation:

The response to selection is influenced by both the strength of selection and the heritability. The strength of selection determines how much pressure there is for certain traits to be favored or disfavored in a population. A strong selection can lead to a rapid response to selection, while a weak selection may result in a slower response. Heritability, on the other hand, measures how much of the variation in a trait is due to genetic factors. If a trait has high heritability, then it is more likely to respond to selection compared to a trait with low heritability.


For example, let's say there is a population of birds and there is a strong selection for longer beaks due to a change in their food source. If the trait for beak length has high heritability, then individuals with longer beaks will have offspring with longer beaks, resulting in a rapid response to selection as the average beak length in the population increases over generations.

Therefore, option 3) As the values increase, the responses to selection increase is the correct answer. Both the strength of selection and heritability influence the response to selection. The correct option is 3) As the values increase, the responses to selection increase.

User George Bina
by
8.1k points