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question 47

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For several decades now, amphibian species worldwide have been in decline. A significant proportion of the decline seems to be due to the spread of the chytrid fungus, Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd) . Chytrid sporangia reside within the epidermal cells of infected animals, animals that consequently show areas of sloughed skin. They can also be lethargic, which is expressed through failure to hide and failure to flee. The infection cycle typically takes four to five days, at the end of which zoospores are released from sporangia into the environment. In some amphibian species, mortality rates approach 100%; other species seem able to survive the infection. However, when adult amphibian skin harbors populations of the bacterium Janthinobacterium lividum (Jl) , chytrid infection seems to be inhibited.
A researcher took water in which a Jl population had been thriving, filtered the water to remove all bacterial cells, and then applied the water to the skins of adult amphibians to see if there would subsequently be a reduced infection rate by Bd when frog skins were inoculated with Bd. For which of the following hypotheses is the procedure described a potential test?

Definitions:

Grants

Financial funds provided by an organization, often a government agency, foundation, or trust, to support a project or research.

Daphne Major

An island in the Galápagos Archipelago known for long-term studies of finch populations, which have provided profound insights into the process of natural selection.

Natural Selection

An evolutionary process in which species that are more suited to their environment are more likely to survive and have a greater number of descendants.

Pristine Environment

An ecosystem or area that is untouched or minimally impacted by human activities, often considered in a natural or original state.