Extension: Imagine that there are two birds. One has a beak depth of 9.2 mm and the other has a beak depth of 10.0 mm. This year is a wet year. Which one is more likely to survive and reproduce in this environment? Explain why using the data from the chart.
Rubric
1 pt Choosing a bird to be more likely to survive
1 pt Explaining why that bird would be more likely to survive.
1 answer
Based on the data provided in the chart, the bird with a beak depth of 10.0 mm would be more likely to survive and reproduce in a wet year. This is because a beak depth of 10.0 mm falls within the range of suitable beak sizes for the available food sources in a wet year, specifically seeds and nuts. The data on the chart shows that birds with smaller beak depths tend to struggle to access these food sources during wet years, resulting in lower survival and reproduction rates. Therefore, the bird with a beak depth of 10.0 mm would have a better chance of thriving in this environment compared to the bird with a beak depth of 9.2 mm.