Testosterone Is Apparently a Very Costly Hormone for Males to Produce

question 9

Multiple Choice

Testosterone is apparently a very costly hormone for males to produce and use. Why, then, has natural selection resulted in the males of some many species investing in the production and use of this hormone?

• A) Because natural selection cannot override the effects of shared ancestry-because male animals share a common ancestor that used testosterone adaptively, they continue to do so today
• B) Because testosterone helps ensure that males will be motivated to search for and to find all the receptive females of their species, thereby increasing the odds that the females will all be able to produce some offspring
• C) Because under a variety of circumstances, the hormone makes is possible for males to be either aggressive or sexually motivated in ways that increase individual genetic success
• D) Because males that are able to pay the price for producing and using testosterone are demonstrating that they are able to overcome this handicap, which means that they are genetically worthy members of the breeding stock for their population

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Definitions:

Unemployment Rate

The percentage of the labor force that is jobless and actively seeking employment.

Natural Rate

The level of economic activity at which there is no cyclical unemployment; often refers to the natural rate of unemployment where the labor market is in equilibrium.

Socially Optimal

A state of allocation of resources that achieves the best possible outcomes for society as a whole, considering both efficiency and equity.

Short-Run Aggregate-Supply

The total supply of goods and services that firms in an economy plan on selling during a specific time period when some resources (e.g., wages and resource prices) are fixed.