Re: Male bowerbirds construct elaborately decorated nests, or bowers. Basi
[#permalink]
18 Feb 2023, 01:13
ANALYZE THE STIMULUS:
Fact 1: Male bowerbirds construct elaborately decorated nests, or bowers.
Fact 2: Different local populations of bowerbirds of the same species build bowers that exhibit different building and decorative styles,
Conclusion: researchers have concluded that the bowerbirds’ building styles are a culturally acquired, rather than a genetically transmitted, trait.
KEY word: “culturally acquired, NOT genetically transmitted”. It means a bowerbird did not know how decorate a net at the time it was born. It has to learn how to decorate a net.
Question: Which of the following, if true, would most strengthen the conclusion drawn by the researchers?
ANALYZE EACH ANSWER:
A. There are more common characteristics than there are differences among the bowerbuilding styles of the local bowerbird population that has been studied most extensively.
Wrong. Stick to key words above. Clearly, if the bowerbirds’ building styles are a genetically transmitted, there would be more common characteristics than there are differences among the bowerbuilding styles. Thus, A is wrong.
B. Young male bowerbirds are inept at bowerbuilding and apparently spend years watching their elders before becoming accomplished in the local bower style.
Correct. B clearly states the assumption of the conclusion. Bowerbird did not know how decorate a net at the time it was born. It has to learn how to decorate a net.
C. The bowers of one species of bowerbird lack the towers and ornamentation characteristic of the bowers of most other species of bowerbird.
Wrong. Out of scope.
D. Bowerbirds are found only in New Guinea and Australia, where local populations of the birds apparently seldom have contact with one another.
Wrong. Let see an example: a bowerbird A is found in New Guinea; a bowerbird B is found in Australia; A and B have different bowerbirds’ building styles. But what if a bowerbird A’s building styles are acquired through genetic transmitted from its parents. The same pattern is true for B. Clearly, it is possible that bowerbirds’ building styles are a genetically transmitted. Thus, D is wrong.
E. It is well known that the song dialects of some songbirds are learned rather than transmitted genetically.
Wrong. Out of scope.