13 Jun BIOL 201 Many birds have bright, ornamental plumage
Question
Many birds have bright, ornamental plumage. Most often it is displayed by the male of the
species, who is believed to use the plumage to attract females.
The female may select male breeding partners on the basis of this feather advertisement, perhaps assessing
their health. Darwin labeled such mate choice “sexual selection.” However, another possible form of plumage
selection has been studied by biologists in Canada. They think that the parents of certain bird species may select the “prettiest” chicks out of a
nest as favorites. American coots are birds that live in the marshes of western North America. As adults they are grayish-black with
a spot of white on their bills. Unlike most birds whose nestlings are drab, coot chicks are surprisingly conspicuous. They have long,
slender black feathers tipped in orange, brilliant red papillae around their eyes, a bright red bill, and bald red head. The chicks lose this colorful appearance at 3
weeks. Surprisingly, 1/2 of all coot chicks die from starvation. Canadian biologists speculated that the plumage may make some chicks more attractive to their parents; possibly the most “attractive” chicks might be able to successfully beg for more food from their parents.
1) Formulate a hypothesis based on the above observations.
2) What predictions (deductions) can you make if your hypothesis is correct? Be sure to
specify exactly how your prediction directly addresses your hypothesis.
3) Outline how you can test your predictions, i.e., what exactly might you do if you
were the scientists who had studied coots for several years? Be sure to specify: exactly how your experiment(s) test your prediction, what your control group(s) are, what your experimental group(s) are, and the outcome(s) that will cause you to accept or reject your hypothesis
Our website has a team of professional writers who can help you write any of your homework. They will write your papers from scratch. We also have a team of editors just to make sure all papers are of HIGH QUALITY & PLAGIARISM FREE. To make an Order you only need to click Ask A Question and we will direct you to our Order Page at WriteDemy. Then fill Our Order Form with all your assignment instructions. Select your deadline and pay for your paper. You will get it few hours before your set deadline.
Fill in all the assignment paper details that are required in the order form with the standard information being the page count, deadline, academic level and type of paper. It is advisable to have this information at hand so that you can quickly fill in the necessary information needed in the form for the essay writer to be immediately assigned to your writing project. Make payment for the custom essay order to enable us to assign a suitable writer to your order. Payments are made through Paypal on a secured billing page. Finally, sit back and relax.
About Writedemy
We are a professional paper writing website. If you have searched a question and bumped into our website just know you are in the right place to get help in your coursework. We offer HIGH QUALITY & PLAGIARISM FREE Papers.
How It Works
To make an Order you only need to click on “Order Now” and we will direct you to our Order Page. Fill Our Order Form with all your assignment instructions. Select your deadline and pay for your paper. You will get it few hours before your set deadline.
Are there Discounts?
All new clients are eligible for 20% off in their first Order. Our payment method is safe and secure.