You Are Studying a Large Tropical Reptile That Has a High

question 36

Multiple Choice

You are studying a large tropical reptile that has a high and relatively stable body temperature. How would you determine whether this animal is an endotherm or an ectotherm?

• A) You know from its high and stable body temperature that it must be an endotherm.
• B) You know that it is an ectotherm because it is not a bird or mammal.
• C) You subject this reptile to various temperatures in the lab and find that its body temperature and metabolic rate follow the ambient temperature. You conclude that it is an ectotherm.
• D) You note that its environment has a high and stable temperature. Because its body temperature matches the environmental temperature, you conclude that it is an ectotherm.
• E) You measure the metabolic rate of the reptile, and because it is higher than that of a related species that lives in temperate forests, you conclude that this reptile is an endotherm and its relative is an ectotherm.

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Definitions:

Object Permanence

The understanding that objects continue to exist even when they cannot be seen, heard, or touched.

Schemas

Cognitive frameworks that help individuals organize and interpret information in the world around them.

Biopsychosocial Approach

A framework that attributes complex phenomena or illnesses to the interaction of biological, psychological, and social factors.

Cross-Sectional Study

A type of observational research that analyzes data from a population, or a representative subset, at a specific point in time.