Definition, Meaning & Synonyms

directional selection

noun

/dəˈrɛkʃənl sɪˈlɛkʃən/

Definition

A type of natural selection that favors one extreme phenotype over the other phenotypes in a population.

Examples

In the case of the peppered moth, darker individuals became more common during the Industrial Revolution due to pollution.
Directional selection can lead to rapid evolutionary changes, such as the development of longer beaks in bird species that rely on specific flowers for food.

Meaning

Directional selection occurs when one extreme of a trait distribution is favored by the environment, leading to a shift in the population’s traits over time.