Which of the following factors can maintain different traits in a population?

The correct choice highlights mechanisms that can maintain different traits within a population. Random selection refers to the unpredictable variations in which alleles are passed on to the next generation, which can lead to a diversity of traits. Frequency-dependent selection occurs when the fitness of a phenotype depends on its frequency relative to other phenotypes in the population, which can help preserve multiple traits if certain traits remain advantageous at different times or in varying contexts. Genetic drift is the random fluctuation of allele frequencies in a population, which can maintain multiple traits by allowing for random changes in the prevalence of different traits.

In contrast, the other options present factors that influence population dynamics and trait variation but do not solely focus on the maintenance of different traits. For example, random mutation introduces new genetic variations but doesn't necessarily maintain them unless they confer an advantage. Environmental changes and selective pressures can lead to the dominance of certain traits rather than maintaining a variety. Similarly, while social structures and reproductive timing can influence mating patterns and population dynamics, they don’t inherently maintain trait diversity in the same manner as the mechanisms listed in the correct choice. Lastly, population bottlenecks tend to reduce variation by drastically decreasing population size, whereas gene flow can homogenize traits between populations, and environmental stability may lead to the