Question

There is a population of birds that differ in feather color and in diet. The green feathered birds eat fish, while red feathered birds eat insects. A drought hits the habitat of this population. The drought has no effect on the insect population, but it dries up the ponds and the fish population declines. In this example, through the process of natural selection we will expect that

Answer 1

the red feathered birds that eat insects will have a higher chance of survival and reproduction compared to the green feathered birds that eat fish. This is because the green feathered birds will struggle to find food due to the declining fish population, while the red feathered birds will still be able to find insects to eat. Over time, the red feathered birds may become more prevalent in the population as they pass on their traits to the next generation. This is an example of natural selection favoring traits that are better suited to the environment.