A population of mice shifting from light-colored coats to darker coats is displaying the effects of ____ selection.

A) sexual
B) stabilizing
C) disruptive
D) directional
E) artificial

The shift from light-colored to darker coats suggests that there is a selective advantage to having a darker coat in the mice's environment. This is an example of directional selection, as a particular trait (darker coat color) is being favored over another trait (lighter coat color).