Discussion
Consider a large population of a finch species, where both small and big beak sizes are advantageous, and an intermediate beak size is maladaptive. Over a period of 10 years, which one of the following evolutionary processes is most likely to operate on the beak size of this finch population?
Answer: B
The process most likely to act is disruptive selection.
When both extremes of a trait are favoured and the intermediate is selected against, selection pushes the population towards two peaks. That is disruptive (diversifying) selection, and given enough time it can split the population into two beak-size types.
Directional selection favours one extreme only. Stabilizing selection is the opposite case, favouring the intermediate. Genetic drift is random change, most important in small populations, while this population is described as large and under clear selection.
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