Consider the following scenario: A drought hits the habitat of a semi-aquatic bird population. All ponds dry up, and fish populations decline. There are two groups of birds in the population that differ in leg length and diet. Long-legged birds eat fish, while short-legged birds eat insects. The drought has little effect on insect populations.

Question

Consider the following scenario: A drought hits the habitat of a semi-aquatic bird population. All ponds dry up, and fish populations decline. There are two groups of birds in the population that differ in leg length and diet. Long-legged birds eat fish, while short-legged birds eat insects. The drought has little effect on insect populations.

What is the main selective pressure in this scenario?

(1 point)

drought
drought

insect population
insect population

leg length
leg length

fish population

Answer 1

The main selective pressure in this scenario is the decline in the fish population due to the drought. This will impact the long-legged birds more significantly as they rely on fish for their diet. Therefore, there will be selective pressure favoring the short-legged birds that can still feed on insects.