A bird-watcher sees a small yellow bird in a tree. Explain to the bird-watcher how he can use a dichotomous key to identify the bird. Assume he does not know anything about dichotomous keys. Then, write two steps of a dichotomous key that would be helpful for the bird-watcher. (2 points)

Answer 1

To use a dichotomous key, the bird-watcher can start by looking at various physical characteristics of the bird, such as its size, color, beak shape, and markings. The dichotomous key is a tool that helps identify organisms based on a series of choices between two alternative characteristics.

Step 1:
1a. Bird has a predominantly yellow coloration - Move to step 2
1b. Bird does not have a predominantly yellow coloration - Go to next step

Step 2:
2a. Bird has a black beak - Bird likely belongs to family A
2b. Bird has a yellow beak - Bird likely belongs to family B