A study tested the importance of learning mechanisms in the development of antipredator escape responses in tadpoles of a frog species. Tadpoles hatched from eggs in the lab were kept […]
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How Frequency Tuning in Grasshopper Females Drives Reproductive Isolation
Males of a species of grasshopper produce loud calls to attract females. Most energy of these calls lie in the species-specific frequency, while other frequencies have much less energy. This […]
Divergence in Cricket Call Frequencies Across a River: Signals of Speciation and Reproductive Isolation
A researcher studying a cricket species finds that individuals on either side of a large river have different call-frequencies on average. The following statements were made: A. The different call […]
When Does a Behavioral Variant Reach Fixation? Understanding Fitness and Frequency in Population Genetics
A particular behavioural variant affects fitness of an organism. The relationship between the frequency of the variant in the population and fitness are plotted below. In which of these cases […]
Understanding Infant Responses: The Role of Sign Stimulus in Early Sensory Development
A 20-week old infant was exposed to the following stimuli and the responses were measured. Based on the response patterns shown above to the given stimuli, select the correct theory […]
Dawn Chorus in Birds: Debunking Myths and Understanding the True Reasons Behind Early Morning Song
Many species of birds call at dawn in temperate regions. The phenomenon is referred to as “Dawn Chorus”. Several explanations have been proposed for this. Which one of the options […]
Acoustic Adaptation Hypothesis: Why Forest Birds Sing Low and Narrow
If bird song is selected to maximize broadcast range and minimize degradation, then according to the “Acoustic Adaptation Hypothesis” which of the following combination of features is likely to be […]
Imprinting in Songbirds: How Early Experience Shapes Sparrow Song Learning
Assume a male sparrow (species X) is hatched and reared in isolation and allowed a critical imprinting period to hear the song of male of another sparrow (species Y). Now […]
How Sleep Loss Reduces Learning in Rats: Insights from Experimental Studies
Number of trials required for rates to learn a task when they were exposed to various conditions were as follows: Which of the following inferences is most appropriate? (1) Continuous […]
Why Do Gull Parents Remove Eggshells After Hatching? The Evolutionary Advantage of Predator Avoidance
After gull nestlings hatch, the parents remove the egg- shells from the nest. This behavior is to (1) clean the area. (2) reduce infection (3) make more space in the […]


