In the Phylogeny Shown, Which of the Following Hypotheses Provides

question 8

Multiple Choice

In the phylogeny shown, which of the following hypotheses provides the most parsimonious explanation for the distribution of beak ("bill") color among the five species of magpie? The yellow-billed magpie has a yellow beak and the rest have black beaks.

• A) There is no way to infer ancestral beak color using the phylogenies shown.
• B) The ancestral state was yellow-billed.
• C) The ancestral state was black-billed.
• D) The ancestral state was most likely neither yellow nor black but rather some intermediate color of beak.

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Definitions:

Market Forces

The natural factors of supply and demand that determine prices, production levels, and resource allocation in a freely competitive economy.

Resistance Price

A price level at which an asset meets pressure on its way up due to a concentration of selling interest, often used in technical analysis of financial markets.

Willingness to Pay

The maximum amount an individual or entity is prepared to spend to purchase a good or service or to avoid something undesirable.

Market Demand Curve

A graphical representation of the quantity of goods demanded at various prices by all consumers in the market.