The Analysis of Parent-Offspring Conflict in Birds Has Generated Some

question 3

Multiple Choice

The analysis of parent-offspring conflict in birds has generated some interesting observations. For example, researchers hypothesized that chicks should beg to be fed by their parents more loudly when their nestmates are less closely related. (See Figure A, where Of = optimal parental investment where the lost siblings are full sibs, and Oh for an offspring whose lost siblings are half sibs.) Do the data collected bear this out (Figure B) ?
Figure A

Figure B

• A) Yes, species that evolve extra-pair parentage also tend to evolve louder begging chicks.
• B) No, the genetic relatedness of the chicks has nothing to do with the level of begging by chicks.
• C) The data are inconclusive; no conclusion can be formulated.