During Drought Years on the Galapagos, Small, Easily Eaten Seeds

question 41

Multiple Choice

During drought years on the Galapagos, small, easily eaten seeds become rare, leaving mostly large, hard-cased seeds that only birds with large beaks can eat. If a drought persists for several years, what should one expect to result from natural selection?

• A)Small birds gaining larger beaks by exercising their mouth parts.
• B)Small birds mutating their beak genes with the result that later-generation offspring have larger beaks.
• C)Small birds anticipating the long drought and eating more to gain weight and, consequently, growing larger beaks.
• D)
• More small-beaked birds dying than larger-beaked birds. The offspring produced in subsequent generations have a higher percentage of birds with large beaks.
• E)Larger birds eating less so smaller birds can survive.

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