The Figure Shows the Wing Length of Cliff Swallows That

question 40

Multiple Choice

The figure shows the wing length of cliff swallows that died as road kill and of the population at large. What do these data indicate about natural selection acting on wing length in cliff swallows?

• A) Birds with shorter wings die as road kill more often than the population at large; therefore, natural selection will favor birds with longer wings.
• B) The probability that a swallow will die as road kill is not affected by its wing length; thus, natural selection is not acting on wing length.
• C) Increasing population size in swallows has resulted in an increased number of road kill.
• D) Birds with longer wings are more likely to die as road kill, so natural selection favors birds with shorter wings.

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Definitions:

Output

The total quantity of goods or services produced by an individual, firm, or country over a specified period.

Government Deregulation

The process of reducing or eliminating government rules controlling how businesses can operate, often to encourage more competition and innovation.

Economies of Scale

Enterprises gain cost benefits from their scale of operation, which typically results in the cost per unit of output decreasing as the scale increases.

Economic Profit

The total revenue of a business minus its explicit and implicit costs.