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?

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)
• The proportion of short-tailed squirrels may have decreased due to an increase 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 long-tailed squirrels may have increased due to increased food availability.

GPT-4o mini · Answer

The statement that is most likely correct is:

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

This is because the long-tailed squirrels have an advantage in jumping and balancing, which would likely lead to better survival and reproduction in an environment with more trees. As a result, the long-tailed squirrels would thrive, and the proportion of short-tailed squirrels would likely decrease.