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While demographers were struggling to understand sex ratio
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15 Jan 2020, 13:42
15 Jan 2020, 13:42
Expert Reply
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Question Stats:
53% (01:17) correct
46% (01:04) wrong based on 91 sessions
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While demographers were struggling to understand sex ratio anomalies in the context of culture, evolutionary biologists had largely (i) ____ an idea put forth in 1973 by biologist Robert Trivers, who theorized that as the physical condition of female declines, she‘ll tend to produce a(n) (ii) ___ ratio of male to female offspring. In red deer and humans, for example, (iii) ___ conditions in the mother‘s environment during pregnancy are correlated with a shift toward female births.
Kudos for the right answer and explanation
| Blank (i) | Blank (ii) | Blank (iii) |
|---|---|---|
| ostracized | higher | adverse |
| gainsaid | lower | favorable |
| embraced | archetypal | mercurial |
Kudos for the right answer and explanation
Re: While demographers were struggling to understand sex ratio
[#permalink]
15 Jan 2020, 20:56
15 Jan 2020, 20:56
2
The crux of the sentence lie in the idea of Robert, as the physical condition of female declines she tends to produce _______ ratio of male to female. The hint is given in the last phrase, "shift toward female births", the word that fits the blank is "lower". The 3rd blank will be synonomous with physical condition declining, therefore "adverse" is the best fit. There is no contradiction to this theory, so it must be embraced for the 1st blank.
Re: While demographers were struggling to understand sex ratio
[#permalink]
13 Sep 2025, 04:14
13 Sep 2025, 04:14
Expert Reply
The correct words for the blanks are (i) embraced, (ii) lower, and (iii) adverse.
Breakdown of the Blanks
- Blank (i): embraced
The passage contrasts demographers, who were struggling with the topic, with evolutionary biologists. The next sentence provides an example in support of Robert Trivers' idea. This suggests the biologists had accepted the idea. The word embraced means to accept or support willingly, which fits this context.
- Blank (ii): lower
Trivers' theory, as described in the sentence, states that as a female's physical condition declines, she will produce a certain ratio of male to female offspring. The final sentence provides the conclusion: "a shift toward female births." If the number of female births increases, the male-to-female ratio must decrease. Therefore, lower is the correct word.
- Blank (iii): adverse
This blank describes the conditions that cause the female's physical condition to decline. The word "shift toward female births" is the result of these conditions. Adverse means unfavorable or harmful, which logically leads to a decline in physical condition.
Breakdown of the Blanks
- Blank (i): embraced
The passage contrasts demographers, who were struggling with the topic, with evolutionary biologists. The next sentence provides an example in support of Robert Trivers' idea. This suggests the biologists had accepted the idea. The word embraced means to accept or support willingly, which fits this context.
- Blank (ii): lower
Trivers' theory, as described in the sentence, states that as a female's physical condition declines, she will produce a certain ratio of male to female offspring. The final sentence provides the conclusion: "a shift toward female births." If the number of female births increases, the male-to-female ratio must decrease. Therefore, lower is the correct word.
- Blank (iii): adverse
This blank describes the conditions that cause the female's physical condition to decline. The word "shift toward female births" is the result of these conditions. Adverse means unfavorable or harmful, which logically leads to a decline in physical condition.
