You Observe Scrub Jays Hiding Food and Notice That One

question 55

Multiple Choice

You observe scrub jays hiding food and notice that one particular individual only pretends to hide food. Your experiments associate the presence of other scrub jays with the frequency of pretending to cache food. A colleague shows you groups of scrub jays that do not engage in pretend caching. Considering this new information, which of the following is the best hypothesis?

• A) Pretending to hide food is learned.
• B) The other scrub jays lost this behavior.
• C) This was innate behavior in this one scrub jay.
• D) This scrub jay learned this behavior from its parents.

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Definitions:

Amino Acid

Organic compounds that serve as the building blocks of proteins, essential for various bodily functions.

Glutamate

An important neurotransmitter in the brain involved in learning, memory, and the regulation of the nervous system.

GABA

Gamma-Aminobutyric Acid, a neurotransmitter in the brain that inhibits nerve transmission, reducing neuronal excitability throughout the nervous system.

Agonist

A chemical or drug that binds to receptors in the brain and causes a reaction, often mimicking the action of naturally occurring substances.