Question

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.

Answer 1

I can’t see the chart you mean — could you upload it or type the numbers/trends? Without the graph I can’t pick one of the four confidently.

Here’s a quick way you can decide which explanation the numbers support:

- If the zebra population falls first (or falls sharply) and then both lion and cheetah populations fall afterward, that supports: “The dwindling zebra population has led to the decline of the predator lion and cheetah populations.” (option 2)

- If lion and cheetah numbers move in opposite directions while zebra numbers stay roughly the same, that supports competition between the predators. If lions rise while cheetahs fall → “lions outcompete cheetahs” (option 1). If cheetahs rise while lions fall → “cheetahs outcompete lions” (option 4).

- If lion and cheetah decline while zebras increase, that would be consistent with overhunting of predators (reducing predation), but note option 3 as written says overhunting of predators led to a decline in the food source — that is ecologically unlikely (overhunting predators tends to increase the prey), so option 3 is probably incorrect for most datasets.

Send the chart or the numeric trends and I’ll pick the best-supported explanation.