Question: Sheep Challenge Evolution A species of sheep lives on the Scottish island of Hirta. Hirta has plenty of grass for the sheep to eat, and no natural predators of the sheep live on the island. Some sheep have dark wool, and some have light wool. The sheep with dark wool tend to be much larger and stronger than the sheep with light wool. However, researchers have found that in the last 20 years, the sheep with light wool have increased in number. Usually, strength and size help animals survive and breed. On Hirta, sheep with light wool outnumber sheep with dark wool because sheep with light wool
Answer: have a better chance of surviving and reproducing
Hypothesis: sheep with light wool have a better chance of surviving and reproducing than sheep with black wool on hirta
Supporting facts: sent1: an animal / living thing requires nutrients for survival sent2: to help / to benefit means to be of use sent3: survival means to survive sent4: as the ability of a living thing to survive / to reproduce increases , the likelihood of passing on its traits to its decendents will increase sent5: if an organism passes on its traits then future generations will have those traits sent6: an organism 's environment affects that organism 's acquired characteristics sent7: sheep with light wool outnumber sheep with dark wool in the sheep population on hirta sent8: coloration means a thing 's color sent9: protecting a living thing has a positive impact on that living thing 's survival / health sent10: being stronger usually has a positive impact on an organism 's / living thing 's health sent11: reproduction produces / produce offspring sent12: eating / taking in food is used to get nutrients / energy by animals / living things sent13: a sheep is a kind of living thing sent14: if a living thing requires something then that something has a positive impact on that living thing sent15: offspring receive genes from their parents through inheritence / dna / sexual reproduction sent16: an animal requires enough nutrients to maintain good health / survive sent17: to breed is similar to to reproduce sent18: decreasing something negative has a positive impact on a thing sent19: to reproduce means to have / to produce offspring sent20: genes are able to determine the inherited characteristics of a living thing sent21: to be used for something means to help to do that something sent22: increase means more sent23: to be used for something means to be required by that something sent24: reproduction increases the number of a living thing sent25: population increase means more survive
Reasoning: [BECAUSE] reproduction increases the number of a living thing [AND] as the ability of a living thing to survive / to reproduce increases , the likelihood of passing on its traits to its decendents will increase [INFER] int1: if living things with one trait outnumber those living things with a different trait in a population then the living things with that one trait probably have a better chance of surviving and reproducing [BECAUSE] int1 [AND] a sheep is a kind of living thing [INFER] int2: if sheep with one trait outnumber those sheep with a different trait in a population then the sheep with that one trait probably have a better chance at surviving and reproducing [BECAUSE] int2 [AND] sheep with light wool outnumber sheep with dark wool in the sheep population on hirta [INFER] int3: sheep with light wool have a better chance of surviving and reproducing than sheep with black wool on hirta