Throughout May, crabs arrive on Delaware’s beaches to lay eggs. Migrating shorebirds that rely on these eggs for food stop there before continuing to their northern breeding grounds. The earlier in the season they reach those breeding grounds, the greater their likelihood of breeding successfully. Because the crab population was much smaller this year than last, the shorebirds lengthened their Delaware stay considerably in order to consume enough crab eggs to permit completion of their migration.
For which of the following hypotheses does the information given above provide the strongest support?
A. The shorebirds will leave their northern breeding grounds earlier this year than they have in years past.
B. The decline in the crab population was largely due to the shorebirds’ consumption of crab eggs in years past.
C. The average number of eggs laid per egg-laying crab will be significantly lower next year than this year.
D. The proportion of the migratory shorebirds that breed successfully will be lower this year than it was last year.
E. Many fewer of the shorebirds will reach their northern breeding grounds this year than did last year.