Question
gray squirrels can be found across north america. most gray squireels typically have gray-colored fur, however some have genetic mutations that result in black colored fur. a population of gray squirrels that has a higher frequencey of black-colored fur has been found in the dense forest in the far northern states and canada. other than the color of their fur, these squirrels are the same as other gray squirrels.
which statement best explains why the population of gray squirrels that live in the dense forest has a higher number of indivduals with black colored fur than gray colored fur?
a squirrels with black colored fur from other populations migrated into the dense forest
b indiviual squirrels with black colored fur were able to survive in the dense forest better than squirrels with gray colored fur and were able to reproduce
c indiviual squirrels with gray colored fur changes to black colored fur to be better camouflaged in the dense forest
d the allele for fur color is activated by the low levels of light in the dense forest and causes the gray colored fur to change to black
which statement best explains why the population of gray squirrels that live in the dense forest has a higher number of indivduals with black colored fur than gray colored fur?
a squirrels with black colored fur from other populations migrated into the dense forest
b indiviual squirrels with black colored fur were able to survive in the dense forest better than squirrels with gray colored fur and were able to reproduce
c indiviual squirrels with gray colored fur changes to black colored fur to be better camouflaged in the dense forest
d the allele for fur color is activated by the low levels of light in the dense forest and causes the gray colored fur to change to black
Answers
GPT-4o mini
The best explanation for why the population of gray squirrels in the dense forest has a higher number of individuals with black-colored fur than gray-colored fur is:
**b. individual squirrels with black-colored fur were able to survive in the dense forest better than squirrels with gray-colored fur and were able to reproduce.**
This statement suggests that natural selection is at play, where the black-colored fur provides a survival advantage in that specific environment, leading to increased reproductive success and a higher frequency of that trait in the population over time.
**b. individual squirrels with black-colored fur were able to survive in the dense forest better than squirrels with gray-colored fur and were able to reproduce.**
This statement suggests that natural selection is at play, where the black-colored fur provides a survival advantage in that specific environment, leading to increased reproductive success and a higher frequency of that trait in the population over time.