Q2 - Biologist: Some small animals will

[Laura Damone]

Question Type:
Explain a Result

Stimulus Breakdown:
For an Explain a Result stimulus, we have to ID the paradox. How come small animals caught by a predator will sometimes play dead, in spite of the fact that, according to the Biologist, this shouldn't help them survive, since the predator wants to eat them regardless.

Answer Anticipation:
Well, maybe predators won't try to kill an animal they think is already dead. Maybe they'll just nibble at it and then go about their day. Anything that would demonstrate a survival advantage for small animals that play dead could be a viable answer.

Correct answer:
B

Answer choice analysis:
(A) Tempting. Maybe it's the loud noise or unexpected movement that accompanies the attack that makes small animals play dead. This could explain why they play dead, even though playing dead doesn't help them survive the attack. But how many predator attacks are accompanied by a loud noise or unexpected movement? We don't know, and that should make us skeptical.

(B) Ah-ha! This is even better. If predators often leave their food lying about instead of eating it right away, that reconciles our two facts perfectly. No wonder they play dead, even though the predator intends to eat them regardless. Because of this level of specificity, B beats A by a mile.

(C) Irrelevant. The circumstances under which small animals are more likely to play dead doesn't help us explain why they play dead in the first place.

(D) So what? What most predators prey on doesn't tell us anything about the prey species themselves.

(E) Again, so what? The prey species that don't play dead aren't the ones we're worried about.

Takeaway/Pattern:
For Explain a Result questions, identify the two things you need to reconcile against one another. The correct choice should answer the question: "How come X, in spite of Y?"

#officialexplanation