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What happened to the population of rabbits if there was a limiting factor they could not adjust to, like the presence of wolves?

A) The rabbit population would increase rapidly.
B) The rabbit population would remain stable.
C) The rabbit population would decrease significantly.
D) The rabbit population would evolve to adapt to the presence of wolves.

User Raga
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1 Answer

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Final answer:

The introduction of wolves, a limiting factor, into a rabbit population would likely cause the rabbit population to significantly decrease due to increased predation.

Step-by-step explanation:

When analyzing the impact of a limiting factor such as the presence of wolves on a rabbit population, it is important to understand the dynamics of predation and its influence on prey populations. In this scenario, the presence of wolves as predators would likely lead to a significant decrease in the rabbit population. Predators can influence the survival and reproduction rates of prey, and without an ability to adjust rapidly, the rabbits would suffer increased mortality, thus leading to option C, the rabbit population would decrease significantly.

It's important to note that while there can be evolutionary responses over time, such as selecting for camouflage or other defensive traits in future generations of rabbits, this is a separate process known as natural selection, which operates over multiple generations and would not immediately prevent the decline in the population in the face of increased predation pressure.

User Sushmit Sarmah
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