What does disruptive selection favor?

Disruptive selection is a form of natural selection that favors individuals at both extremes of the phenotypic range rather than those with average traits. This type of selection occurs in environments where both extreme phenotypes have a selective advantage over the average phenotype. For example, in a scenario where a resource is partitioned in such a way that only very large or very small individuals can effectively exploit it, average-sized individuals may be at a disadvantage and face higher mortality rates or reduced reproductive success. As a result, over time, the population may split into two distinct phenotypic groups, enhancing genetic diversity and allowing for the adaptation of each extreme to its specific niche. This process can lead to speciation, as the diverging traits become more pronounced in the separate groups.