Question

A biologist studied a population of squirrels for 15 years. During that time, the population was never fewer than 30 squirrels and never more than 45. Her data showed that over half of the squirrels born did not survive to reproduce, because of both competition for food and predation. In a single generation, 90% of the squirrels that were born lived to reproduce, and the population increased to 80. Which inference(s) about this population might be true?

A) The amount of available food may have increased.
B) The parental generation of squirrels developed better eyesight due to improved diet; the subsequent squirrel generation inherited better eyesight.
C) The squirrels of subsequent generations should show greater levels of genetic variation than previous generations, because squirrels that would not have survived in the past will now survive.
D) Three of the statements above are correct.
E) Two of the statements above are correct.

Answer 1

E. Two of the above statements are correct.

Step-by-step explanation:

The true statements are -

1. The amount of food that made available might have been increased due to this the competition for food has been decreased in the squirrels and thus they survived better than before.

2. In the subsequent generations the squirrels showed better genetic variation as compared to the previous generation which enabled them to be more sustainable in the current environment and due to this variation they became able to survive better.