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Directional selection is a type of natural selection that favors individuals with phenotypes at one extreme of the phenotypic range. In other words, it favors phenotypes that are either higher or lower than the average, depending on the specific environmental pressures.
For instance:
- If a particular trait provides an advantage in a changing environment, individuals possessing that trait will have higher fitness and survival rates. Over time, the frequency of that trait within the population increases.
- If the environment changes, favoring a different extreme of the phenotypic range, directional selection may shift, favoring phenotypes at the other extreme.