Which type of gene interaction is best described as favoring different phenotypes at different times, often due to changing environmental conditions?

• A. Incomplete dominance
• B. Temporal balancing selection
• C. Pleiotropy
• D. Epistasis

Answer: (B)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Understand the concept of gene interactions and how they influence phenotypes. Gene interactions describe how different genes or alleles affect the expression of traits.
2. Review the definitions of the given options: Incomplete dominance is when heterozygotes show an intermediate phenotype; Pleiotropy occurs when one gene affects multiple traits; Epistasis is when one gene masks or modifies the effect of another gene.
3. Consider the phrase 'favoring different phenotypes at different times, often due to changing environmental conditions.' This suggests a dynamic process where selective pressures vary over time, influencing which phenotypes are advantageous.
4. Recognize that 'Temporal balancing selection' refers to a type of natural selection where different alleles are favored at different times, maintaining genetic diversity in a population by fluctuating environmental conditions.
5. Conclude that among the options, Temporal balancing selection best fits the description because it involves changing selective advantages over time, unlike the other static gene interaction types.