The Scatterplots Below Show the Relation Between the Average Phenotype

question 41

Multiple Choice

The scatterplots below show the relation between the average phenotype of parents (x-axis) and that of their offspring (y-axis) for three traits. One trait has a heritability of 90% (comparable to that of fingerprint ridge count) , another has a heritability of 50% (comparable to that of human height) , and yet another has a heritability of 25% (comparable to that of human longevity) . To make the axes comparable, for each trait the phenotypic measurement is expressed as a deviation from the overall mean in multiples of the standard deviation.
The fact that all of the lines slope upward means that:

• A)variation in each trait is affected by differences in heredity.
• B)variation in each trait is affected by environmental differences.
• C)the genes affecting any one trait have no effect on any other trait.
• D)some genes affect all three traits.
• E)the traits all show genotype-by-environment interaction.

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Definitions:

Regret

A feeling of sadness, repentance, or disappointment over something that one has done or failed to do.

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The cognitive bias to overestimate how much others share one’s beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors.

Nonconformist

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The tendency for people to overestimate their ability to control events, leading to unrealistic expectations about the impact of their actions.