Question

Which of the following best explains why the brown-feathered phenotype in tawny owls has increased over the past 28 years?

A.Since the brown genotype is dominant, it will eventually eliminate the recessive gray genotype from the population.
B.Darker feather color in tawny owls makes them less visible to predators as they sit in the trees.
C.With milder winters, the advantage of gray feathers that blend into a snowy environment has decreased.
D.The directional selection toward a darker phenotype is random and likely due to a bottleneck event

Answer 1

Answer:

The most likely explanation for the increase in the brown-feathered phenotype in tawny owls over the past 28 years is option B: Darker feather color in tawny owls makes them less visible to predators as they sit in the trees.

Step-by-step explanation:

This advantage could lead to increased survival rates and reproductive success for brown-feathered owls, which would in turn increase the frequency of the brown allele in the population over time. Option A is not entirely accurate, as dominance does not necessarily guarantee elimination of a recessive trait from a population. Option C is not supported by the information given and is not a plausible explanation for the increase in brown feathers. Option D refers to a bottleneck event, which is not mentioned in the question stem and is not a necessary component for explaining the increase in brown feathers.