Disruptive selection refers to a type of natural selection that favors extreme phenotypes over intermediate phenotypes, leading to the splitting of a population into two or more distinct groups. In the case of limpets and their shell patterns, disruptive selection is evident when intermediate colored limpets are preyed upon.

Shell Patterns in Limpets
Limpets are marine gastropod mollusks that possess a conical shell on their back. The shell patterns in limpets can vary in color, ranging from light yellowish to tan. These shell patterns are important for their survival as they provide camouflage from predators and enable them to blend in with their environment.

Disruptive Selection
Disruptive selection occurs when individuals with extreme phenotypes have a higher fitness compared to those with intermediate phenotypes. In the case of limpets, the disruptive selection is observed in relation to their shell patterns.

Prey Selection
In this scenario, the predators of limpets exhibit a preference for specific shell pattern colors. Let's assume that the predators in this particular environment have a higher preference for prey that either have a light yellowish color or a tan color. This means that limpets with intermediate shell colors, such as those that are neither light yellowish nor tan, are more likely to be preyed upon.

Intermediate Colored Limpets as Prey
As a result of this prey selection, the limpet population becomes divided into two distinct groups: those with light yellowish shells and those with tan shells. The intermediate colored limpets, which do not match the preferred colors of the predators, experience a higher predation rate. This leads to a decrease in the frequency of individuals with intermediate shell colors within the population over time.

Consequence of Disruptive Selection
Disruptive selection ultimately leads to the divergence of two distinct phenotypes within the limpet population. This divergence occurs because the extreme phenotypes, light yellowish and tan, have a higher fitness due to their increased survival rates. Over generations, the frequency of intermediate colored limpets decreases, while the frequencies of light yellowish and tan colored limpets increase.

Therefore, in this case, disruptive selection is demonstrated by the fact that intermediate colored limpets are preyed upon, leading to the divergence of the population into two distinct groups with different shell colors.