In an ecosystem where most flowers are long and bell-shaped, there are two varieties of hummingbird: birds with short beaks and birds with long beaks. What is the most likely hummingbird population composition? (1 point)

Responses

more long-beaked hummingbirds

more short-beaked hummingbirds

only short-beaked hummingbirds

only long-beaked hummingbirds

1 answer

In this ecosystem, the flowers are long and bell-shaped, which means that long-beaked hummingbirds would have an advantage when feeding on these type of flowers because their beaks are well-suited for accessing the nectar. As a result, long-beaked hummingbirds are more likely to survive and reproduce in this environment compared to short-beaked hummingbirds, whose beaks may not allow them to access the nectar as effectively.

Thus, the most likely hummingbird population composition would be:

more long-beaked hummingbirds