In an aquatic bird population, some birds have long legs. Other birds have short legs. The food supply is minimal. The birds with long legs are able to wade farther into the water where they can find fish. Over time, the birds with long legs become more common. What scientific term best describes this scenario?

Question

In an aquatic bird population, some birds have long legs. Other birds have short legs. The food supply is minimal. The birds with long legs are able to wade farther into the water where they can find fish. Over time, the birds with long legs become more common.  What scientific term best describes this scenario?
1. mutation
2. selective pressures
3. fitness
4. natural selection

GPT-4o mini · Answer

The scientific term that best describes this scenario is **4. natural selection**. This process reflects how certain traits (in this case, long legs) become more common in a population because they provide a survival advantage (better access to food) in a given environment.