D Desert Organisms Must Cope with Extreme and Variable Conditions

question 32

Essay

D Desert organisms must cope with extreme and variable conditions. Their coping strategies frequently involve retreating to a sub-surface refuge. Researchers in New Mexico, investigating the underground shelter choices by Gila Monsters (Heloderma suspectum), hypothesized that depth might be a factor. They reasoned that deeper shelters would be less susceptible to extremes of heat and cold and thus depth would be preferred in a shelter. Depth data for 20 chosen shelters and 20 available shelters not chosen are presented in the table at right.

$\begin{array}{l}\text { Shelter Depths (cm) }\\\begin{array} { | c | c | c | c | } \hline \text { Chosen } & \text { Nearest } & \text { Chosen } & \text { Nearest } \\\hline 94 & 54 & 33 & 32 \\\hline 89 & 6 & 15 & 14 \\\hline 32 & 57 & 27 & 7 \\\hline 76 & 50 & 27 & 32 \\\hline 65 & 46 & 85 & 28 \\\hline 30 & 41 & 52 & 52 \\\hline 68 & 43 & 80 & 50 \\\hline 84 & 59 & 33 & 55 \\\hline 10 & 55 & 79 & 69 \\\hline 58 & 53 & 71 & 55 \\\hline\end{array}\end{array}$
a) Display these data using a comparative (back-to-back) stem-and-leaf plot. Use the
stems shown below, and be sure to include all information needed to compare the
two distributions.
|1|
|2|
|3|
|4|
|0| |1|
|2|
|3|
|4|
|5|
|6|
|7|
|8|
|9| |5|
|6|
|7|
|8|
|9|
(b) Describe the similarities and differences between the chosen and not chosen
shelter depths.
(c) Are these data consistent with the researchers' expectations? Explain, using
specific aspect(s) of your plot in part (a).

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Definitions:

Primary Circular Reactions

Early repetitive behaviors of infants, focused on the infant’s own body, that serve as the building blocks of sensory and motor development.

Tertiary Circular Reactions

The stage in Piaget's theory of cognitive development where infants aged 12 to 18 months demonstrate trial and error experimentation, showing a more sophisticated understanding of cause and effect.

Mental Representations

Internal cognitive symbols, models, or maps of the world, phenomena, or concepts that the mind constructs for understanding and navigating the environment.

Object Permanence

The understanding that objects continue to exist even when they cannot be seen, heard, or otherwise sensed, a critical concept in the cognitive development of infants.