medium · SAT Reading & Writing

An ecologist studying urban wildlife adaptation records camera-trap sightings of raccoons in Meadowbrook County over four survey years. The variable "Daytime Sightings" is the percentage of all camera-trap sightings recorded between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. (unit: percent of total sightings). Data: Year | Daytime Sightings (%) 2005 | 12 2011 | 19 2017 | 31 2023 | 44 The ecologist proposes the following claim: "Urban raccoon populations in Meadowbrook County have increasingly shifted their peak foraging activity from nighttime to daytime hours over the past two decades, likely due to reduced nocturnal predator pressure." Which choice most effectively uses data from the table to support the ecologist's claim?

1. In 2023, 44 percent of camera-trap sightings were recorded during daytime hours, demonstrating that urban raccoons have shifted their foraging schedule.
2. Daytime sightings fell from 44 percent in 2005 to 12 percent in 2023, indicating that raccoons increasingly favored nocturnal foraging as predator pressure decreased.
3. Because daytime sightings reached 44 percent by 2023, the data proves that nocturnal predators have been entirely eliminated from Meadowbrook County.
4. Daytime sightings rose every survey year, from 12% (2005) to 19% (2011) to 31% (2017) to 44% (2023), supporting the claim of an increasing daytime shift.

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