Asked by Marina Kuksgauzen on Jun 23, 2024
Verified
A certain fish-eating hawk that lives by large lakes can capture more pounds of fish per unit time if it were to hunt farther from shore instead of staying close to the shoreline. The hawk, however, does stay close to the shoreline. This demonstrates that
A) natural selection theory is probably not applicable in this case.
B) optimal foraging theory is probably not applicable in this case.
C) an optimal foraging hypothesis based on maximizing caloric intake alone is probably incorrect in this case.
D) the fish species found close to the shoreline in large lakes are more nutritious than those in the center.
Optimal Foraging Theory
A model that predicts how an animal behaves when searching for food, based on the maximization of benefits (energy or nutrients) in relation to time and energy costs.
Caloric Intake
The total number of calories consumed by an organism, which is a critical aspect of its diet and overall health.
Fish-eating Hawk
Refers specifically to hawks that primarily consume fish, such as the osprey, displaying specialized hunting techniques for aquatic environments.
- Master the key principles underlying optimal foraging theory and their usage in distinct species.
Verified Answer
TG
Taylor GibsonJun 25, 2024
Final Answer :
C
Explanation :
The hawk's behavior of staying close to the shoreline despite being able to capture more pounds of fish per unit time farther from shore suggests that factors other than maximizing caloric intake alone (such as safety, energy expenditure, or territorial considerations) influence its foraging strategy. This indicates that an optimal foraging hypothesis based solely on maximizing caloric intake might not fully explain the hawk's behavior.
Learning Objectives
- Master the key principles underlying optimal foraging theory and their usage in distinct species.