Heritability can be used to decide which traits to select for.

• A. It has no effect on selection
• B. False
• C. True
• D. It only applies to environmental traits

Answer: (C)

Heritability tells you how much of the observed differences among individuals for a trait come from genetic differences rather than the environment. That makes it a useful guide for selection because when heritability is high, the phenotype closely reflects the underlying genetics, so selecting individuals with desirable values will produce genetic gains in the next generation. In contrast, if heritability is low, most variation is due to the environment, so choosing based on phenotype won't reliably improve the genetic makeup. Remember that heritability is specific to the population and environment being studied, so it’s a gauge for expected response to selection rather than a universal rule.