Question

Question

Consider the following scenario:

A drought hits the habitat of a semi-aquatic bird population. All ponds dry up, and fish populations decline. There are two groups of birds in the population that differ in leg length and diet. Long-legged birds eat fish, while short-legged birds eat insects. The drought has little effect on insect populations.

What is the main selective pressure in this scenario?

(1 point)
Responses

leg length
leg length

fish population
fish population

drought
drought

insect population
insect population
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Answer 1

The main selective pressure in this scenario is the fish population.

The drought has resulted in the drying up of ponds and a decline in fish populations, which directly affects the long-legged birds that rely on fish as their primary food source. In contrast, short-legged birds that eat insects are less affected since insect populations remain stable. Therefore, the decline of the fish population represents the primary selective pressure influencing the survival and reproduction of the different bird groups.