A certain species of snail shows variation in its shell coloring, from solid yellow shells to brown, banded shells. Birds are the main predator of this snail. A scientist observed populations of this snail in various habitats. The data table shows the number of snails of each shell color in a grassland environment. Evaluate each of the conclusions. Sort each conclusion according to whether it is supported by the data. (5 points)

Question

A certain species of snail shows variation in its shell coloring, from solid yellow shells to brown, banded shells. Birds are the main predator of this snail. A scientist observed populations of this snail in various habitats. The data table shows the number of snails of each shell color in a grassland environment. Evaluate each of the conclusions. Sort each conclusion according to whether it is supported by the data. (5 points)

Answer 1

Conclusion 1: In grassland environments, yellow snails are more common than brown banded snails.

Supported by data: Yes

Conclusion 2: The variation in shell coloring is likely due to camouflage from predators in different habitats.

Supported by data: No