Male Bowerbirds

This topic has expert replies
User avatar
Legendary Member
Posts: 777
Joined: Fri Jan 01, 2010 4:02 am
Location: Mumbai, India
Thanked: 117 times
Followed by:47 members

Male Bowerbirds

by komal » Thu Feb 11, 2010 10:28 pm
Male bowerbirds construct elaborately decorated nests, or bowers. Basing their judgment on the fact that different local populations of bowerbirds of the same species build bowers that exhibit different building and decorative styles, researchers have concluded that the bowerbirds' building styles are a culturally acquired, rather than a genetically transmitted, trait.

Which of the following, if true, would most strengthen the conclusion drawn by the researchers?

(A) There are more common characteristics than there are differences among the bower-building styles of the local bowerbird population that has been studied most extensively.

(B) Young male bowerbirds are inept at bower-building and apparently spend years watching their elders before becoming accomplished in the local bower style.

(C) The bowers of one species of bowerbird lack the towers and ornamentation characteristic of the bowers of most other species of bowerbird.

(D) Bowerbirds are found only in New Guinea and Australia, where local populations of the birds apparently seldom have contact with one another.

(E) It is well known that the song dialects of some songbirds are learned rather than transmitted genetically.

OA [spoiler](B)[/spoiler]

User avatar
Legendary Member
Posts: 1275
Joined: Thu Sep 21, 2006 11:13 pm
Location: Arabian Sea
Thanked: 125 times
Followed by:2 members

by ajith » Fri Feb 12, 2010 12:35 am
komal wrote:Male bowerbirds construct elaborately decorated nests, or bowers. Basing their judgment on the fact that different local populations of bowerbirds of the same species build bowers that exhibit different building and decorative styles, researchers have concluded that the bowerbirds' building styles are a culturally acquired, rather than a genetically transmitted, trait.
(A) There are more common characteristics than there are differences among the bower-building styles of the local bowerbird population that has been studied most extensively.

Goes against the aragument - no


(B) Young male bowerbirds are inept at bower-building and apparently spend years watching their elders before becoming accomplished in the local bower style.

Strengthens the argument that the building styles are not genetically transmitted Correct

(C) The bowers of one species of bowerbird lack the towers and ornamentation characteristic of the bowers of most other species of bowerbird.

Talks about an exception but B is much more compelling

(D) Bowerbirds are found only in New Guinea and Australia, where local populations of the birds apparently seldom have contact with one another.

Does not strengthen the conclusion that the skills are not genetically transmitted directly

(E) It is well known that the song dialects of some songbirds are learned rather than transmitted genetically.

Logically flawed
Always borrow money from a pessimist, he doesn't expect to be paid back.

User avatar
Newbie | Next Rank: 10 Posts
Posts: 3
Joined: Wed May 18, 2016 7:00 am

by susmithasakhamuri » Wed Jul 27, 2016 5:42 am
can anyone tell me how to approach this question in less than 2min because I took around 10minutes to solve and get to the answer.
An approach for all cr questions in general.
Thankyou :)