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?

Answer 1

[AI-generated answer — Bot GPT 3.5]

The main selective pressure in this scenario is the availability of food sources. With the drought causing fish populations to decline and ponds to dry up, the long legged birds that rely on fish as their primary food source will struggle to survive. On the other hand, the short legged birds that feed on insects, which are still abundant, will have a better chance of survival and reproduction. This difference in food availability is putting selective pressure on the two groups of birds, favoring those with a diet that is not reliant on fish.