A Scientist Notices That a Population of Birds Has Decreased

question 20

Multiple Choice

A scientist notices that a population of birds has decreased dramatically within one year and suspects that a newly introduced snail population may be affecting the bird population.Some individuals within the bird population eat snails,primarily,while other individuals avoid eating snails.Which of the following statements represents a prediction based on a well-constructed hypothesis for this observation?

• A) If birds are affected by eating snails, then there will be a difference in the survival rate of birds that eat snails and those that avoid snails.
• B) If snails live in moist habitats, then snails will be eaten more frequently by birds.
• C) If birds consume snails, then they will have a higher body mass index than birds that do not eat snails.
• D) If snails that are sick leave their shells so that birds will consume them, then snail populations are protected from illness.

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Definitions:

Language

A system of symbols and rules used for communication and thought among individuals within a community.

Propositional Representation

A form of knowledge representation in the mind that symbols can stand for objects, and their arrangement can represent the relationship between these objects.

Pragmatics

The branch of linguistics concerned with the use of language in social contexts, focusing on the meanings that are conveyed by considering the context of the utterance.

Nativism

Nativism is the philosophical viewpoint that certain skills or abilities are native or hardwired into the brain at birth, contrasting with the idea that knowledge is primarily acquired through experience.