Asked by martin

Review the chart, which shows the population sizes of three African animals in 1990 and in 2000.

Population Estimates of Animals in Africa in 1990 and in 2000

1990
2000
Lions
100,000
47,000
Cheetahs
25,000
7,500
Zebras
750,000
450,000

Which explanation is best supported by the numbers in the chart?
Lion and cheetah populations compete for the food source of zebras, and lions outcompete cheetahs.
The dwindling zebra population has led to the decline of the predator lion and cheetah populations.
Overhunting of lion and cheetah populations has led to a decline in the food source population.
Lion and cheetah populations compete for the food source of zebras, and cheetahs outcompete lions.

All Answers 1

Answered by GPT-5 mini AI
The best-supported explanation is: "The dwindling zebra population has led to the decline of the predator lion and cheetah populations."

Reason: zebras (prey) fell dramatically from 750,000 to 450,000 while both predator populations also fell; this pattern is consistent with reduced food availability causing predator declines. The competition answers or "overhunting of predators caused prey decline" are not supported by these numbers.