You are an ecologist studying a population of caribou over your 40 year career. Over time, you have been able to track changes in the traits and characteristics of the herd. You found that individuals with traits that best dealt with frozen, snowy, windswept tundra had a selective advantage; thicker fur, heavier bodies, longer legs, bigger feet, and sharper hooves to dig through snow to find food. In the last 15 years, however, the tundra’s climate has changed. Winters are warmer and the spongy tundra does not always freeze solid. There is less snow and the smaller caribou seem better suited to run across the spongy ground without sinking into the tundra mat. How will these environmental changes affect the expressed traits of the caribou population over time. Explain why.
