Which selection mode benefits individuals with the most extreme traits at both ends of the spectrum?

Disruptive selection is the mode that favors individuals with extreme traits at both ends of the spectrum while selecting against the average or intermediate traits. In this process, the extremes exhibit a higher fitness than the individuals that possess traits closer to the mean. This can lead to increased variability within a population and potentially the development of two distinct phenotypes, especially when environmental conditions favor both extremes, resulting in a more diverse gene pool.

For example, in a situation where a species has individuals with either very large or very small sizes, if both of these sizes offer specific advantages in accessing resources or avoiding predators, then disruptive selection will favor these extreme sizes. This contrasts with stabilizing selection, which would favor the average phenotype, and directional selection, which focuses on one extreme of a trait spectrum. The term "general" does not appropriately describe any specific selection mode known in evolutionary biology.