The answer to the fill-in-the-blank statement, “__________ traits exhibit continuous variation but are not strongly influenced by the environment” is “Polygenic”.
Direct answer: Polygenic traits exhibit continuous variation but are not strongly influenced by the environment.
Step-by-step answer: Polygenic traits exhibit continuous variation but are not strongly influenced by the environment. Polygenic refers to a phenotype that is controlled by more than one gene. There are often many genes involved in controlling one characteristic in an organism. Polygenic traits are not the result of a single gene. Instead, they are influenced by multiple genes and their interactions with the environment, making them challenging to study and understand.Thus, polygenic traits exhibit continuous variation but are not strongly influenced by the environment.