PT127.S4.P2.Q9

PrepTest 127 - Section 4 - Passage 2 - Question 9

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P1

Mechanisms for recognizing kin are found throughout the plant and animal kingdoms, regardless of an organism's social or mental complexity. ████████████ ██ ███ ███████ █████████████ ██ █████ ██████████ ████ ██████ ████ ███████████ █████████ ██ ███ ████████ ██ ███ ███ ███████████ ██████ ██ ████ ███

Phenomenon · Many plants and animals can recognize "kin" (relatives)
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Inclusive fitness hypothesis · Organisms transmit genetic material through relatives (not just offspring)
Contrast inclusive fitness with traditional view of evolution. Under traditional view, natural selection favors those with the most offspring. Inclusive fitness suggests natural selection also favors organisms who help their relatives (because this helps spread the organism's own genes).
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Inclusive fitness applied · Helps to explain why social insects like bees evolved
P2

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Inclusive fitness applied · Theory predicts that cannibals will avoid eating their own relatives
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Example of theory applied to cannibals · Spadefood toad tadpoles
Some tadpoles eat their own species. But they nip at other tadpoles before eating, and end up eating only nonsiblings. Suggests they're trying to avoid eating their kin. But, they're more likely to eat kin when they're very hungry.
P3

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Other explanations for kin recognition · Inclusive fitness theory isn't the only explanation
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Example showing other explanation · Tiger salamander larva
Some larva are cannibals. The bacteria are more deadly to close relatives, because the relatives have a similar immune system to the infected larva. So, when tiger salamanders avoid eating their close relatives, it could be because they just don't want to die from the bacteria in their relatives. This is about the organism's individual self-interest, not about trying to increase overall genetic representation.
Passage Style
Phenomenon-hypothesis (RC)
Single position
Show answer
9.

The passage states which one ██ ███ █████████ █████ ████ █████████ ████ █████████

a

They develop the ███████ ██ █████████ ██████ ███████████

Although the tadpoles can recognize other sibling tadpoles, the author never states they can recognize “fellow carnivores.”

1%
b

They feed only ████ ██████████ █████████

Although the tadpoles start off as omnivores, the author never states that the cannibal tadpoles eat only other omnivores.

1%
c

They change in ████ ████ ████ ████ ██████ ███████████

Stated.

81%
d

Their carnivorousness constitutes ██ █████████ █████ ██ ████████ ████ █████ ████ ████████ ███ █████████ ███████ ███████

The author offers the spadefoot toad tadpoles as an example that supports the inclusive fitness theory, not something that calls it into question. Although the author notes that some cannibal tadpoles can become more likely to eat kin when hungry, this doesn’t undermine inclusive fitness theory, but merely shows that the tadpoles still put their own genetics above that of kin.

11%
e

Their carnivorousness would ███ █████ ██████ ██ ███████████ ██ ████ ███ ██ ███ ████████████ ███████ ██ ███ █████████ ████ ████████

You can’t point to a line that states (E). The author never claims that the tadpole’s carnivorousness requires that this behavior contribute to the evolutionary success of the species. Rather, the author describes the phenomenon of carnivorousness among tadpoles and provides an explanation for why carnivorous tadpoles refrain from eating their siblings.

7%

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