This question has two parts. Use the information to answer Part A and Part B.

Question

Patricia lives near a small island. A population of tortoises lives on the island with no predators. Some of the tortoises have long necks (L) and some of the tortoises have short necks (S). Patricia wants to know how the numbers of long-necked and short-necked tortoises will change over time. She collects some information.
• All female long-necked tortoises are able to lay eggs.
Only half of female short-necked tortoises are able to lay eggs.
In year 1 of the study, there are twice as many short-necked tortoises as long-necked tortoises. (S = 2L)
Part A
Patricia predicts the conditions on the island will stay the same.
What equation will most likely describe the tortoise population in year 2?
A. SL
B. S = 2L
C. S=4L
Part B
What statement about the tortoise population does the correct answer from Part A best support?
A. The numbers of long-necked and short-necked tortoises are stable.
B. There will always be fewer long-necked tortoises than short-necked tortoises.
C. The long-necked tortoises have a survival advantage over the short-necked tortoises.

Answer 1

Part A
The correct answer is B. S = 2L.
Since Patricia predicts that the conditions on the island will stay the same, the initial ratio of short-necked to long-necked tortoises (S = 2L) will likely remain constant in year 2.

Part B
The statement that best supports the correct answer from Part A is A. The numbers of long-necked and short-necked tortoises are stable.
This indicates that because the conditions will remain consistent, the ratio of the tortoise populations will not change, suggesting stability in their numbers.