How would reducing low-growing plants from an area impact a population of tortoises with two varieties of neck extension ability: short and long distance? (1 point)

Question

The proportion of tortoises with the ability to extend their necks a long distance would increase.
The proportion of tortoises with the ability to extend their necks a long distance would increase.

The variety of tortoises with the ability to extend their necks a long distance would go extinct.
The variety of tortoises with the ability to extend their necks a long distance would go extinct.

The proportion of tortoises that could only extend their necks a short distance would increase.
The proportion of tortoises that could only extend their necks a short distance would increase.

The variety of tortoises that could only extend their necks a short distance would go extinct.
The variety of tortoises that could only extend their necks a short distance would go extinct.

Answer 1

Reducing low-growing plants from an area would likely decrease the availability of food sources for tortoises, particularly affecting those with shorter necks that rely on accessing vegetation close to the ground. In this scenario, tortoises with the long-distance neck extension ability would have a better chance of reaching higher food sources, while those with short necks would struggle to obtain enough food.

Given this context, the most likely outcome would be:

The proportion of tortoises with the ability to extend their necks a long distance would increase.

This is because the long-necked tortoises would be more successful in accessing food and thus would have a higher survival and reproduction rate compared to the short-necked tortoises, leading to an increase in the proportion of the population that has long necks over time.