You discover a rare new bird species, but you are unable to observe its mating behavior. You see that the male is large and ornamental compared with the female. On this basis, you can probably conclude that the species is
A) polygamous.
B) monogamous.
C) polyandrous.
D) promiscuous.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The fact that the male is large and ornamental compared with the female suggests that the male may be competing with other males for access to multiple females. This is a common trait in polygamous species, where one male mates with multiple females. In monogamous species, males and females are typically similarly sized and ornamented, and form bonded pairs. Polyandrous species have females with multiple male partners, which is not supported by the given information. Promiscuous species have multiple partners of both sexes, which is also not supported by the given information.

You Discover a Rare New Bird Species, but You Are