Cotton-topped tamarins are small primates with tufts of long white hair on their heads. While studying these creatures, you notice that males with longer hair get more opportunities to mate and father more offspring. To test the hypothesis that having longer hair is adaptive in these males, you should ________.
A) test whether other traits in these males are also adaptive
B) look for evidence of hair in ancestors of tamarins
C) determine if hair length is heritable
D) test whether males with shaved heads are still able to mate

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

To test the hypothesis that having longer hair is adaptive in these males, it is important to determine if hair length is heritable, which would suggest that it is a trait that can be passed down to offspring and is subject to natural selection. Testing other traits in these males or looking for evidence of hair in ancestors of tamarins may not be directly relevant to the hypothesis being tested. Testing whether males with shaved heads can still mate may provide some information, but it does not directly address the hypothesis being tested.

Cotton-Topped Tamarins Are Small Primates with Tufts of Long White