Reproductive Success: Evidence & Reasoning

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📚 Part 1: Multiple Choice — Concepts

1. Which animal trait most directly increases reproductive success by attracting mates?

Bright, showy plumage in males that females prefer

Larger home range used for hunting

Increased sleep time for energy conservation

Longer legs for faster running

2. Which plant structure is an adaptation that increases pollination by animal visitors?

Large, colorful petals and nectar rewards

Deep taproot for water access

Thick waxy cuticle on leaves

Heavy seeds that fall straight down

3. A scientist measures mating calls and counts offspring over several years. Which pattern would best support that a change in call affects reproductive success?

Years with higher call frequency match years with more offspring per male

Calls vary randomly but offspring numbers remain constant

Calls change after offspring numbers change

Calls differ between populations but offspring numbers are unknown

4. Which field observation would best indicate that seed dispersal increases plant reproductive success?

Seeds dispersed farther from parent show higher germination and survival than seeds left near the parent

Parent plants produce many small seeds regardless of dispersal

Seeds near the parent are more numerous but not tracked for survival

Dispersal happens but no data on seedling growth exist

5. Which example best illustrates sexual selection rather than general natural selection for survival?

Male peacocks evolving extravagant tails because females prefer them

Cactus succulents evolving thicker stems to store water

Mice evolving better camouflage from predators

Trees evolving deeper roots to reach groundwater

🔬 Part 2: Multiple Choice — Evidence & Reasoning

6. In a study, flowers with more nectar received more bee visits and produced more seeds. What is the best scientific conclusion?

Higher nectar volume likely causes increased pollinator visits, raising seed production

Bees prefer random flowers; seed counts are unrelated

Seed production increased for unknown reasons unrelated to bees

Nectar causes seeds to grow directly without pollination

7. An experiment removed thorns from some plants. Thornless plants suffered more herbivore damage and produced fewer fruits. What reasoning links thorns to reproductive success?

Thorns reduce herbivory, which preserves resources for fruit and seed production

Thorns attract herbivores and so reduce reproduction

Fruit loss caused herbivores to grow more thorns

There is no relationship between thorns and reproduction

8. Night-blooming flowers release scent after dusk and are visited mainly by moths, while day-blooming flowers release scent in daylight and are visited by bees. Which explanation best links this pattern to reproductive success?

Timing of scent release matches pollinator activity, increasing effective pollination and seed set

Scent timing is random and does not affect pollination

Moths and bees visit at the same time, so timing is irrelevant

Flowers produce scent only to repel herbivores, not to attract pollinators

9. Which research method provides the most direct empirical evidence that a specific behavior increases reproductive success?

Long-term tracking that links individuals' behavior to the number of surviving offspring they produce

A single anecdotal observation of one successful individual

A theoretical model with no field data

Comparing unrelated species without measuring reproduction