A drought hits the habitat of a semi aquatic bird population, all ponds dry up and fish populations decline. There are two groups of birds in the population that differ in leg length and diet. Long, legged, birds, eat, fish, white short legged birds, eat insects the drought has a little effect on insect populations.

Question

A drought hits the habitat of a semi aquatic bird population, all ponds dry up and fish populations decline. There are two groups of birds in the population that differ in leg length and diet. Long, legged, birds, eat, fish, white short legged birds, eat insects the drought has a little effect on insect populations.

What is the main selective pressure in this scenario?
A. Insect population
B. Fish population
C. Leg length
D. Drought

Answer 1

D. Drought

The main selective pressure in this scenario is the drought, as it has caused the ponds to dry up and fish populations to decline. This change in the environment has likely affected the availability of food for both groups of birds, leading to potential changes in their respective diets and foraging behaviors.