In certain species of songbirds, development of the song requires the opportunity to hear the appropriate song during a sensitive period in life as well as the genes to prepare them to learn the song. This is a(n) ____ explanation of birdsong.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The explanation describes the role of both nature (genes) and nurture (hearing the appropriate song during a sensitive period) in the development of birdsong, which is a key aspect of ontogenetic explanations. Physiological explanations focus more on the biological mechanisms involved, evolutionary explanations focus on how the behavior has evolved over time, and functional explanations focus on the purpose or function of the behavior.

In Certain Species of Songbirds, Development of the Song Requires