Question

1. during a drought, seeds with thick hard coats survive. only birds with strong, thick beaks have the strength to crack open the coats to eat the seeds. if the drought continues for several years, what do you expect would happen because of natural selection?

a. nothing would happen because the drought cannot last forever.

b. birds with all types of beaks would learn how to crack open the hard seed coats.

c. the birds with strong, thick beaks would no longer be able to crack open the seeds.

d. only birds with strong, thick beaks would live long enough to reproduce and pass their traits on to future generations.

a

b

c

Explanation:

Natural selection is the process where organisms with traits better suited to their environment are more likely to survive and reproduce. In this drought scenario, seeds with thick coats require birds with strong beaks to crack them. Birds with weak beaks won't get enough food, so they'll struggle to survive and reproduce. Birds with strong beaks can access the seeds, survive, and pass their strong - beak trait to offspring. Option A is wrong because drought's duration isn't the point; natural selection acts during it. Option B is wrong as beak strength is a physical trait, not a learned behavior. Option C is wrong as strong - beaked birds are adapted to crack the seeds.

Answer:

D. Only birds with strong, thick beaks would live long enough to reproduce and pass their traits on to future generations.