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

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

GPT-4o mini · Answer

The most likely statement is: **The proportion of long-tailed squirrels may have increased due to increased food availability.** This aligns with the observation that long-tailed squirrels, which are better at jumping and balancing in trees, have seen their population percentage increase over 100 years. If food availability increased, it would support the growth of the long-tailed squirrel population, given their advantages in tree environments.