SCIENTIFIC INQUIRY

Question

Based on the results of the mouse coloration case study, suggest another hypothesis researchers might use to study the role of predators in natural selection.

You might wonder what would happen if the owl was allowed to hunt during daytime.
You might wonder what would happen if a population of beach mice lived in an area where predators were replaced with other predators.
You might wonder what would happen if a population of beach mice lived in an area where predators were absent.
You might wonder what would happen if a population of beach mice was mixed with a population of dark inland mice.

Answer 1

Based on the context of the mouse coloration case study, a plausible hypothesis that researchers might explore regarding the role of predators in natural selection could be:

"If a population of beach mice is exposed to a different predator that has a contrasting hunting strategy or visual capabilities compared to the native predator (owls), then the coloration of the beach mice will adapt to enhance their survival against that specific predator."

This hypothesis allows researchers to study how different predator types influence the selection pressures on the coloration of the beach mice, thereby providing insights into the dynamic interactions between prey and predator in the process of natural selection.