In the Great Australian Desert, Rainfall Averages About 30 Centimetres

question 55

Multiple Choice

In the Great Australian Desert, rainfall averages about 30 centimetres per year. Yet, it is not uncommon when hiking in this extremely arid zone to encounter mosses and ferns. One such plant is called "flower of stone". It is not a flowering plant, nor does it produce seeds. Under arid conditions, its leaflike structures curl up. However, when it rains, it unfurls its leaves, which form a bright green rosette on the desert floor. Consequently, it is sometimes called the "resurrection plant". At first glance, it could be a fern, a true moss, or a spike moss.
-Which of the following characteristics is (are) possessed in common by true mosses, ferns, and spike mosses, and therefore becomes useless at helping to determine to which of these groups "flower of stone" belongs?

• A) alternation of generations
• B) a sporophyte generation that is dominant and alternation of generations
• C) flagellated sperm and true leaves and roots
• D) flagellated sperm and alternation of generations

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Definitions:

Regression Model

A statistical approach used to estimate the relationships among variables, commonly used for prediction and forecasting, where one or more independent variables are used to predict the outcome of a dependent variable.

Dependent Variable

In an experiment or study, it is the variable that is being tested and measured, expected to change in response to the independent variable.

Independent Variable

A variable in an experiment or model that is manipulated or changed to observe its effect on a dependent variable.

Significance

The likelihood that an observed difference or relationship in data did not occur by chance, often measured through statistical tests.