Many Rats Were Tested for Their Ability to Learn to Navigate

question 2

Multiple Choice

Many rats were tested for their ability to learn to navigate a maze. The average number of errors, for a total of 14 trials, was 64 per rat. The rats that made the fewest errors were bred to each other, and the offspring were tested in a similar way. This process was repeated for seven generations, at which point the average number of errors for 14 trials was 36. This experiment demonstrates that

• A) learned behavior cannot be inherited.
• B) maze-learning ability has a genetic basis.
• C) maze-learning ability depends mainly on early contact with adept parents.
• D) natural selection has a role in the evolution of fixed action patterns but not in the evolution of behavior involving learning.