What type of natural selection favors individuals with intermediate phenotypes?

Stabilizing selection is the type of natural selection that favors individuals with intermediate phenotypes while selecting against extreme variations. This form of selection tends to reduce variation within a population, as it promotes the prevalence of traits that are most common or ideal for survival in a given environment. For example, in certain species of animals, individuals with medium body sizes might be favored because they can maintain better fitness by balancing factors such as predation risk and resource acquisition. Essentially, stabilizing selection leads to a more uniform trait distribution over time, ensuring that advantageous intermediate characteristics are retained within the population.