Question

Based on Craig Benkman's work on coevolutionary interactions between crossbills and pine trees, which of the following would be expected?

1) a population where pines are not well-defended against crossbills likely has more squirrels than crossbills
2) a population where pines are not well-defended against crossbills likely does not face a trade-off in defense against different predators
3) a population where pines are not well-defended against crossbills likely has more crossbills than squirrels
4) None of the above would be expected

Answer 1

Based on Craig Benkman's work, a population where pines are not well-defended against crossbills would likely have more crossbills than squirrels and may face a trade-off in defense against different predators.

Step-by-step explanation:

Based on Craig Benkman's work on coevolutionary interactions between crossbills and pine trees, it can be expected that a population where pines are not well-defended against crossbills is likely to have more crossbills than squirrels. This is because crossbills have evolved specialized beaks to extract seeds from pinecones, giving them an advantage over squirrels in accessing the seeds.

In addition, a population where pines are not well-defended against crossbills is also likely to face a trade-off in defense against different predators. The lack of effective defenses against crossbills may make the pines more susceptible to other seed predators, leading to a higher predation rate on their seeds.

Therefore, the correct answer is 3) a population where pines are not well-defended against crossbills likely has more crossbills than squirrels.