Question

pinecones have adapted to crossbills. but will
the crossbills adapt to these new defenses?

now that you have seen how pine trees have
adapted to predation by the crossbills,
examine if the birds have developed any
changes of their own. just as there is more
than one kind of pine cone seed, there are
also different kinds of beaks among the
crossbill population. one of these beaks can
be more successful than the other at getting
past the pine cones defenses. take a look at
two beaks found in the crossbill population.

match the bill to the appropriate
description
a greater beak depth, less curved beak
b smaller beak depth, more curved
beak

a crossbill with a larger beak depth with less
curve makes for a more powerful beak to get
past the pines thick scales.

what type of crossbill do you
think is better suited to eat the
difficult-to-reach seeds kept
deep in the pine cones?
beak a
beak b

Explanation:

To determine which crossbill is better suited to eat seeds deep in pine cones, we analyze the beak characteristics. Beak A has greater depth and is less curved, making it more powerful to break through the pine's thick scales and reach deep seeds. Beak B has smaller depth and is more curved, which is less effective for accessing deep seeds.

Answer:

Beak A