Question
Eben is a biologist that studies Red Junglefowl, a relative of chickens, on Kauai, an island of Hawaii. Recently, red junglefowl have been mating with feral, or wild, chickens on this island, which has created a hybrid population. One of the biggest differences between chickens and Red Junglefowl is their breeding behaviors. Red Junglefowl females lay only a handful of eggs each year and only in the spring, while domestic chickens can lay many eggs during any season.
Eben collected data on when the hybrid hens were laying their eggs. The graph below shows what he found. Eben wants to know if this hybrid population is evolving to become more similar to domesticated chickens or Red Junglefowl.
Which of the statements most likely explains why this hybrid population has a breeding pattern similar to domesticated chickens?
A.
Breeding only in the spring has a higher survival advantage.
B.
Breeding throughout the whole year has a higher survival advantage.
C.
Breeding in warmer months has a higher survival advantage.
D.
Breeding throughout the whole year does not have a survival advantage.
Eben collected data on when the hybrid hens were laying their eggs. The graph below shows what he found. Eben wants to know if this hybrid population is evolving to become more similar to domesticated chickens or Red Junglefowl.
Which of the statements most likely explains why this hybrid population has a breeding pattern similar to domesticated chickens?
A.
Breeding only in the spring has a higher survival advantage.
B.
Breeding throughout the whole year has a higher survival advantage.
C.
Breeding in warmer months has a higher survival advantage.
D.
Breeding throughout the whole year does not have a survival advantage.
Answers
GPT-4o mini
The statement that most likely explains why the hybrid population has a breeding pattern similar to domesticated chickens is:
**B. Breeding throughout the whole year has a higher survival advantage.**
This option suggests that the ability of the hybrid hens to lay eggs year-round provides a greater opportunity for successful reproduction and ultimately enhances their survival and fitness compared to the seasonal breeding of Red Junglefowl. This adaptive trait may lead to a continuation or increase of this breeding pattern in the hybrid population, aligning it more closely with domesticated chickens.
**B. Breeding throughout the whole year has a higher survival advantage.**
This option suggests that the ability of the hybrid hens to lay eggs year-round provides a greater opportunity for successful reproduction and ultimately enhances their survival and fitness compared to the seasonal breeding of Red Junglefowl. This adaptive trait may lead to a continuation or increase of this breeding pattern in the hybrid population, aligning it more closely with domesticated chickens.