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What Temperature is Best?


The two graphs below represent the relationship between temperature and the gender of reptile offspring.

The environmental temperature affects the embryonic development after the midpoint of incubation; this time is a temperature sensitive period when the gender is determined and is irreversible. The pattern I graph represents some turtle species and pattern II graph represents alligators. Because of climate change, the average temperature of Earth is expected to continue to increase.

What do you expect to happen to the turtle populations displayed in the graphs?


There will be less female offspring.


There will be more male offspring.


There will be an equal number of male and female offspring.


There will be more female offspring.