Some whale species practice lunge feeding, in which they lunge toward prey with their mouths open at wide angles, collect the prey and the surrounding water, and then filter out the water through baleen plates in their mouths. Although the volume of water engulfed increases with whales’ body length, the surface area of whales’ baleen plates, which influences the rate at which water can be filtered, does not increase with body length to the same degree, which helps explain why ______

Question

Some whale species practice lunge feeding, in which they lunge toward prey with their mouths open at wide angles, collect the prey and the surrounding water, and then filter out the water through baleen plates in their mouths. Although the volume of water engulfed increases with whales’ body length, the surface area of whales’ baleen plates, which influences the rate at which water can be filtered, does not increase with body length to the same degree, which helps explain why ______
Which choice most effectively uses data from the table to complete the statement?
Choose 1 answer:
Choose 1 answer:
(Choice A)   minke whales and humpback whales show similar average filter times.
A
minke whales and humpback whales show similar average filter times.
(Choice B)   blue whales show the longest average filter time and the highest average number of lunges per dive.
B
blue whales show the longest average filter time and the highest average number of lunges per dive.
(Choice C)   humpback whales show an average of 6.28 lunges per dive.
C
humpback whales show an average of 6.28 lunges per dive.
(Choice D)   fin whales show a longer average filter time than minke whales do.
D
fin whales show a longer average filter time than minke whales do.

GPT-4o mini · Answer

The prompt states that although larger whales engulf more water, the surface area of their baleen plates does not increase to the same degree, which affects their ability to filter water. The key point here is about the relationship between body size, baleen size, and filtering efficiency.

Looking at the answer choices:

Choice A states that minke whales and humpback whales show similar average filter times. This would suggest that despite their differences in size, the efficiency of filtering water is consistent, which aligns with the claim about baleen.
Choice B is about blue whales having the longest average filter time and the highest number of lunges per dive. This does not directly connect to the comparison of filter times relative to body size or baleen efficiency.
Choice C provides a specific average number of lunges for humpback whales, but it does not address the filter time aspect related to baleen size and efficiency.
Choice D states that fin whales show a longer average filter time than minke whales do, which is a direct comparison but does not effectively illustrate the underlying relationship discussed in the prompt.

Considering all of this, Choice A effectively utilizes the information to illustrate that similar average filter times between two whale species might be a result of their baleen size relative to their body size, thus completing the statement in a relevant and informative manner.

Therefore, the best choice is: A minke whales and humpback whales show similar average filter times.