Final answer:
Stabilizing selection is the kind of natural selection that leads to a change in the mean average value of a trait. It favors an average phenotype and selects against extreme variation. For example, in a population of mice living in the woods, natural selection would favor mice with fur that closely matches the color of the forest floor.
Step-by-step explanation:
Stabilizing selection is the kind of natural selection that will lead to a change in the mean average value of a trait. This occurs when natural selection favors an average phenotype and selects against extreme variation. For example, in a population of mice living in the woods, natural selection would favor mice with fur that closely matches the color of the forest floor, making them less likely to be spotted by predators. As a result, the population's genetic variance decreases.