Question

Consider an environment with enough resources for 50 gazelles, but 20 new calves are born each generation and the population exceeds the carrying capacity. What type of natural selection occurs n this population each generation.

Answer 1

The type of natural selection that occurs in this population each generation is stabilizing selection.

Step-by-step explanation:

In this population, the type of natural selection that would occur each generation is stabilizing selection.

Stabilizing selection favors individuals with intermediate characteristics and acts to reduce both extremes in a population.

In this case, the carrying capacity of the environment represents the optimal range for the population size, and individuals that are closer to this range have a higher chance of survival and reproduction.

For example, individuals with a lower reproductive rate may not be able to compete for limited resources, while individuals with a higher reproductive rate may exhaust the resources too quickly.

This stabilizing selection would lead to a reduction in the number of offspring produced each generation, eventually stabilizing the population size at or around the carrying capacity of the environment.