What is a common result of balancing selection in a population?

Balancing selection is a form of natural selection that maintains genetic diversity within a population by favoring the presence of multiple alleles at a specific locus. This type of selection often occurs in environments where heterozygous individuals have a fitness advantage over both homozygous types. As a result, this leads to the preservation of two or more alleles in the gene pool, allowing for a balanced coexistence of these genetic variants.

For example, in some cases like sickle cell anemia and malaria, individuals who are heterozygous for the sickle cell allele have a survival advantage in malaria-endemic regions, leading to the retention of both the normal and sickle cell alleles in the population. This demonstrates how balancing selection can foster genetic variability, enabling populations to adapt to changing environments and respond to different selective pressures over time.