Extension: Imagine that there are two birds. One has a beak depth of 9.2 mm and the other has a beak depth of 10.0 mm. This year is a wet year. Which one is more likely to survive and reproduce in this environment? Explain why using the data from the chart.

Question

Rubric
1 pt Choosing a bird to be more likely to survive
1 pt Explaining why that bird would be more likely to survive.

Answer 1

Based on the data from the chart, we can determine that in a wet year, birds with a larger beak depth are more likely to survive and reproduce. This is because in wet years, the average seed size is larger, which requires birds with larger beak depths to effectively crack open and consume the seeds. Therefore, the bird with a beak depth of 10.0 mm is more likely to survive and reproduce in this environment compared to the bird with a beak depth of 9.2 mm. The bird with the larger beak depth will have a competitive advantage in obtaining food resources, ensuring its survival and ability to reproduce in this wet year.