Question

scenario 3: urban raccoons are smaller and bolder than rural raccoons. explain how natural selection might have caused this change.

Explanation:

Natural selection is the process by which organisms better adapted to their environment tend to survive and produce more offspring. In urban areas, smaller size may be advantageous as it could allow raccoons to access food sources (e.g., garbage cans) more easily. Bolder behavior might help them take advantage of human - provided food resources without being deterred by human presence. Raccoons with these traits (smaller size and bolder behavior) would have a higher chance of survival and reproduction compared to those without these traits. Over time, through successive generations, these advantageous traits would become more common in the urban raccoon population.

Answer:

Urban raccoons that are smaller (easier to access food sources) and bolder (more likely to take advantage of human - related food) have higher survival and reproduction rates. Through natural selection, these traits become more prevalent in the urban raccoon population over time.