Final answer:
The scenario that will produce the largest response to selection is when the heritability of the trait is high and the selection differential is large. Heritability represents the proportion of the total phenotypic variation that is due to genetic variation, while the selection differential measures the difference in the mean phenotype between the selected individuals and the overall population.
Step-by-step explanation:
The scenario that will produce the largest response to selection is when the heritability of the trait is high and the selection differential is large. Heritability, denoted by h^2, represents the proportion of the total phenotypic variation that is due to genetic variation. The selection differential, denoted by S, measures the difference in the mean phenotype between the selected individuals and the overall population.
In the equation R = Sh^2, R represents the response to selection. When the heritability and selection differential are both high, the response to selection will also be high. This means that the trait will change rapidly over generations due to the strong influence of genetics and selection pressure.
For example, let's say we are studying the height of plants in a population. If the heritability of plant height is high (meaning that most of the variation in plant height is due to genetic factors) and there is a large selection differential (meaning that there is a significant difference in the height of selected plants compared to the overall population), then the response to selection will be large. This means that the average height of the plants will change quickly over generations.