Songbirds learn to respond to and imitate their species’ songs from an early age. With each generation, small differences are introduced that result in distinct variations—called dialects—among geographically isolated populations of the same species. A research study examined whether twelve-day-old Ficedula hypoleuca (pied flycatcher) nestlings prefer local dialects over the unfamiliar dialects of nonlocal F. hypoleuca populations: the more begging calls the nestlings made in response to a song, the stronger their preference. The researchers found that nestlings produced more begging calls in response to their own dialect than to nonlocal dialects. Since song preference plays a role in songbird mate selection, the finding suggests that ______

Question

Songbirds learn to respond to and imitate their species’ songs from an early age. With each generation, small differences are introduced that result in distinct variations—called dialects—among geographically isolated populations of the same species. A research study examined whether twelve-day-old Ficedula hypoleuca (pied flycatcher) nestlings prefer local dialects over the unfamiliar dialects of nonlocal F. hypoleuca populations: the more begging calls the nestlings made in response to a song, the stronger their preference. The researchers found that nestlings produced more begging calls in response to their own dialect than to nonlocal dialects. Since song preference plays a role in songbird mate selection, the finding suggests that ______
Which choice most logically completes the text?
Choose 1 answer:
Choose 1 answer:
(Choice A)   F. hypoleuca nestlings show a preference for both local F. hypoleuca dialects and the songs of other local songbirds over the songs of nonlocal birds of any species. 
A
F. hypoleuca nestlings show a preference for both local F. hypoleuca dialects and the songs of other local songbirds over the songs of nonlocal birds of any species.
(Choice B)   F. hypoleuca nestlings’ preference for their own dialect likely drives them when they mature to reproduce with other F. hypoleuca from local rather than nonlocal populations. 
B
F. hypoleuca nestlings’ preference for their own dialect likely drives them when they mature to reproduce with other F. hypoleuca from local rather than nonlocal populations.
(Choice C)   F. hypoleuca nestlings who show an early preference for their own dialect are likely to receive more food from their caretakers than nestlings who show no preferences among any F. hypoleuca dialects. 
C
F. hypoleuca nestlings who show an early preference for their own dialect are likely to receive more food from their caretakers than nestlings who show no preferences among any F. hypoleuca dialects.
(Choice D)   F. hypoleuca nestlings’ preference for their own dialect likely disappears as they mature to promote socialization between different F. hypoleuca populations. 
D
F. hypoleuca nestlings’ preference for their own dialect likely disappears as they mature to promote socialization between different F. hypoleuca populations

GPT-4o mini · Answer

The best choice to complete the text logically is:

(Choice B) F. hypoleuca nestlings’ preference for their own dialect likely drives them when they mature to reproduce with other F. hypoleuca from local rather than nonlocal populations.

This choice aligns with the finding that nestlings responded more positively to their own dialect, suggesting that such preferences could influence mate selection later in their lives, favoring local mates over nonlocal ones.