Rhona Hypothesizes That the Ability of Absolute Pitch Conveys an Adaptive

question 192

Multiple Choice

Rhona hypothesizes that the ability of absolute pitch conveys an adaptive advantage. Your text reports that absolute pitch is more common among speakers of tonal languages than among speakers of nontonal languages. How does this finding relate to Rhona's hypothesis?

• A) It doesn't; the finding is irrelevant to Rhona's hypothesis.
• B) The finding argues against Rhona's hypothesis.
• C) The finding offers moderate support for Rhona's hypothesis.
• D) The finding offers strong support for Rhona's hypothesis.

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Definitions:

Molecular Clock

A method used to determine time based on base pair substitutions. Molecular clocks use the rates of molecular change to deduce the divergence time between lineages in a phylogeny, for example. They work best when they can be “calibrated” with other markers of time, such as fossils with known ages and placements.

Synapomorphy

A trait that is shared by two or more taxa and their most recent common ancestor, used to infer evolutionary relationships.

Phylogenetic Methods

Techniques used in biology to infer the evolutionary relationships and history among different species or genes.

Partner-Partner Transmission

The spread of a pathogen or disease between individuals in a close relationship, typically referring to sexually transmitted infections.