Imagine you are a scientist observing rats in the wild. As the rats reproduce, rats born with white fur slowly begin to outnumber rats with black fur. In three to five sentences, provide two or more different explanations of why the rats with white fur might be outnumbering the rats with black fur. (4 points)
1 answer
One potential explanation could be that rats with white fur have a genetic advantage, such as better camouflage in the environment they inhabit, allowing them to survive and reproduce more successfully than rats with black fur. Another possible explanation could be that rats with white fur are preferred as mates by the majority of the population, leading to increased reproduction and, consequently, higher numbers of white-furred offspring. Additionally, it's possible that there has been a change in the environmental conditions, favoring white-furred rats in some way, such as reduced predation or improved access to resources. These factors combined could explain the observed increase in white-furred rats.