A survey of morphological diversity among three weasel species in Minnesota showed some interesting patterns in skull size, with the length of skulls ranging from 25 mm to 55 mm and little to no overlap between species. The assumption in the study was that skull size is related to the size of prey a weasel can handle (primarily small rodents). This appears to be a good example of________________.

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The observed patterns of morphological diversity among three weasel species in Minnesota, with little to no overlap in skull size between species, suggest that each species may have evolved to occupy a different niche (or ecological role) based on their ability to handle different sizes of prey. This is an example of niche differentiation, a process by which closely related species evolve to occupy different niches in order to avoid competition with each other.

A Survey of Morphological Diversity Among Three Weasel Species in Minnesota