140 CHAPTER 6The horned lizards give an example of directional selection, which favors either
an increase or a decrease in a trait’s mean (FIGURE 6.6A). Many of the phenotypic
differences we see among species are the result of directional selection. The ances-
tors of today’s horned lizards had smaller horns that were enlarged by directional
selection. In other cases, directional selection favors a decrease in a trait mean.
Earlier we emphasized that selection and evolution are two very different
things. Selection happens within a generation, and may or may not lead to evolu-
tion. In 1977 a severe drought hit the Galápagos Islands, and many plants there
failed to set seed. One of the seed-eating Galápagos finches (Geospiza fortis) was
forced to eat new kinds of seeds, and birds with larger bills had higher survival
rates (FIGURE 6.7). The mean size of survivors’ bills was about 0.5 mm larger than
the mean size in the population before the drought. The difference, which is highlyFutuyma Kirkpatrick Evolution, 4e
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Trait value Trait value Trait valueFIGURE 6.6 There are three basic modes of selection on a quantitative trait. (A) Directional
selection favors a change in the trait mean, in this case toward a greater value. The top panel
shows the distribution of the trait before selection acts, the middle panel shows the survival
rate, and the bottom panel shows the distribution of the trait after selection. Triangles show
the trait means before and after selection. (B) Stabilizing selection favors individuals near the
population mean, which reduces the trait’s phenotypic variance. (C) Disruptive selection favors
the largest and smallest individuals, which increases the variance. (After [12].)06_EVOL4E_CH06.indd 140 3/23/17 9:04 AM