There are two varieties in a population of squirrels: short tails and long tails. Long-tailed squirrels are better at jumping and balancing in trees. Scientists observe that over the span of 100 years, the proportion of the population with long tails increases from 10% to 60%. Which statement is most likely? (1 point)

Question

There are two varieties in a population of squirrels: short tails and long tails. Long-tailed squirrels are better at jumping and balancing in trees. Scientists observe that over the span of 100 years, the proportion of the population with long tails increases from 10% to 60%. Which statement is most likely? (1 point)
Responses

The proportion of long-tailed squirrels may have increased due to increased food availability. 
The proportion of long-tailed squirrels may have increased due to increased food availability.

The proportion of long-tailed squirrels may have increased due to a decrease in trees. 
The proportion of long-tailed squirrels may have increased due to a decrease in trees.

The proportion of short-tailed squirrels may have decreased due to decreased food availability.  
The proportion of short-tailed squirrels may have decreased due to decreased food availability.

The proportion of short-tailed squirrels may have decreased due to an increase in trees.

GPT-4o mini · Answer

The most likely statement is: **The proportion of short-tailed squirrels may have decreased due to decreased food availability.** This statement aligns with the scenario presented, where the better jumping and balancing abilities of long-tailed squirrels give them a survival advantage in tree-dominant environments, leading to an increase in their proportion over time. If food availability decreased and it affected survival rates, this could have disproportionately impacted short-tailed squirrels, causing their numbers to decline in favor of the more advantageous long-tailed squirrels.