The bars on the graphs show the numbers of mice that were caught, but keep in mind that mice that were not caught by the owl escaped predation.

Question

On a moonlit night, would a dark brown mouse be more likely to escape predation by owls on dark- or light-colored soil? What data support your conclusion?

A. On dark-colored soil; fewer light brown mice than dark brown mice were caught on light soil under no moon.
B. On dark-colored soil; fewer dark brown mice were caught on dark soil than on light soil under a full moon.
C. On light-colored soil; fewer dark brown mice were caught on dark soil than on light soil under a full moon.
D. On light-colored soil; the lowest level of predation was light brown mice on light soil.

Answer 1

To determine whether a dark brown mouse would be more likely to escape predation by owls on dark- or light-colored soil, we need to consider the camouflage effect and the catch numbers of mice under varying soil conditions.

A dark brown mouse would likely blend in better with dark-colored soil, making it less visible to owls. Therefore, we would expect fewer dark brown mice to be caught on dark soil compared to light soil, especially under conditions where the moon affects visibility.

Analyzing the options:

A. This statement suggests that fewer light brown mice (which are not the focus of our question but provide context) were caught on light soil under no moon, but does not address dark brown mice directly.

B. This statement indicates that fewer dark brown mice were caught on dark soil than on light soil under a full moon, supporting the idea that they escape better due to camouflage on dark soil.

C. This statement suggests that fewer dark brown mice were caught on dark soil than on light soil under a full moon, but does not directly support the concluding preference for where the dark brown mouse would escape predation.

D. This statement discusses light brown mice and their predation rates, which is not relevant to the question about dark brown mice.

Based on the analysis, B provides the most direct evidence that dark brown mice are more likely to escape predation on dark-colored soil compared to light-colored soil, especially under a full moon when visibility for hunting is higher.

Thus, the conclusion is that a dark brown mouse would be more likely to escape predation by owls on dark-colored soil according to the evidence provided in option B.