Question

this passage describes how the inherited trait of hindlimb length can affect a brown anoles survival and reproduction.
anoles may climb branches to find food and avoid predators. anoles with longer hindlimbs are better at climbing the wide branches of trees. anoles with shorter hindlimbs are better at climbing the narrow branches of bushes.
a brown anole with its hindlimb length shown
consider the population of brown anoles over the time period previously shown. over this time period, anoles with shorter hindlimb lengths were less likely to survive and reproduce than anoles with longer hindlimb lengths. this means that having a shorter hindlimb length was less advantageous than having a longer hindlimb length.
complete the following statements to construct the explanation that is best supported by the information above.
having a shorter hindlimb length may have been less advantageous than having a longer hindlimb length because anoles with shorter hindlimb lengths were at climbing the vegetation in the populations environment. this may have been because this environment had bushes than trees.

Explanation:

The passage states longer hindlimbs help climb tree branches (wide), shorter hindlimbs help climb bush branches (narrow). Since shorter hindlimbs were less advantageous (lower survival/reproduction), anoles with shorter hindlimbs were worse at climbing the environment’s vegetation. This implies the environment had fewer bushes (their advantageous habitat) than trees.

Answer:

worse; fewer