Question

a student observes a genetic variation in a population of sea turtles where some turtles have hard shells while others have soft shells. the most common and largest enemy of sea turtles is the great white shark. during an attack, a shark easily breaks the soft shells of the sea turtles, which prevents them from retracting their head inside the shell. what would likely happen if the sharks continue to selectively prey on soft - shelled turtles? the advantageous soft - shell trait will become more common in the sea turtle population. the hard - shelled sea turtles will migrate to other places to escape from predators. the hard - shelled sea turtles will become more common in the population. the soft - shelled sea turtles will swim with hard - shelled turtles to prevent the attack of predators.

Explanation:

This is based on the concept of natural selection. Sharks' preference for soft - shelled turtles means soft - shelled turtles are more likely to be preyed upon. Hard - shelled turtles have a survival advantage and are more likely to reproduce and pass on their genes.

Answer:

C. The hard - shelled sea turtles will become more common in the population.