When two salamander species, the red-backed salamander and the valley-and-ridge salamander, occur without the other present, their jaw structures are identical, and they consume the same prey. However, when the two species co-occur, the red-backed salamander has a slower closing, stronger jaw, while the valley-and-ridge salamander has a faster closing, smaller jaw, and the two species consume different prey sizes. Which of the following is suggested by these observations? a. Competitive exclusion
b. Preemptive competition
c. A trade-off between growing fast and competing well
d. Character displacement

Option d. is correct

Explanation:

Character displacement refers to an evolutionary change that takes place when 2 similar species live in the same environment.

In the given question, it's given that when the two species occur without the other present, they consume the same prey as their jaw structures are identical.

When the two species co-occur, the two species consume different prey sizes as their jaw structures are not identical.

These observations represent Character displacement.

the sphincter muscles at the end of the digestive tract is the anus.

feral cats are estimated to eat tens of millions of native animals each night in australia