Question

Millions of years ago, the ancestors of giraffes had short necks and used to eat leaves from the bushes on the ground. A genetic mutation caused one giraffe's neck to be taller. This long-necked giraffe was able to eat leaves that were higher up on trees. This gave it an advantage as it was able to access more food than other giraffes. Over millions of years, all of the giraffes became long-necked. Which type of environmental factor caused this mutation to be inherited? (1 point)
Responses

exercise requirement
exercise requirement

radiation exposure
radiation exposure

polluted environment
polluted environment

food availability

Answer 1

The type of environmental factor that caused this mutation to be inherited is **food availability**. The longer neck allowed the giraffe to access food that was not available to shorter-necked individuals, providing a survival advantage and leading to the eventual predominance of that trait in the population.