#16 - Babblers, a bird species, live in large cooperative

[JiminyC]

The way that I saw this one (after the fact) which I do not think anyone has stated so far is that we cannot assume that the birds know that they would be safe from the predators if they did not bark. The stimulus states that the barking is the only way that the predators know they are there, but what if the birds do not know that? If they don't (which we have to assume they don't) then they bark in order to scare away the predators- the only thing they think works.

This was my thought process (hope it is correct) but it justifies answer B

[Adam Tyson]

I don't think we have to assume anything about the babblers' knowledge either way, JiminyC. Maybe they do know that they are giving away their position, but they figure it is better to scare the predators off than to hide and hope that this time they will get away with it. After all, it's not that they ALWAYS feed safely and the predators NEVER become aware of them until they bark. It's that they USUALLY feed safely and GENERALLY aren't noticed until they bark. Maybe they figure it's better to be proactive and try to create the best result (scare the predators away) than it is to remain passive and hope for the best? Then again, maybe they really don't know that they are creating a risk for themselves, and they are just lucky that it works most of the time. Their knowledge really isn't important to this question - it's the actual results that matter.

[ange.li6778]

Hi Powerscore, I understand that we need an answer that explains why the babblers keep barking even when it doesn't make sense. But I don't see how B is a reasonable explanation for why the babblers keep barking. It seems to me that there is a gap between "barking as a group" to "predators are intimidated by a large group." A group of babblers are already a group before they start barking, so wouldn't the predators be intimidated even without the barking?

I see how B is the least bad answer choice, but it doesn't make complete sense in the "pick an answer that explains an odd behavior" process for Resolve questions.

[Rachael Wilkenfeld]

Hi Ange,

The key for this one is to think about the babblers that have not managed to seek cover. Sure, most of the babblers have managed to seek cover. But that doesn't mean that all have managed to sufficiently hide. That gives a motivation for the barking. The collective wants to have the best chance of everyone surviving. Not just most of the group. Not just the ones that hide. But by making the loud noise together, they sound like more than they might be. If the correct answer (B) is true, we can figure out how the behavior makes sense. Large groups are intimidating to predators, which provides protection for the whole group instead of just those that can get away. While the babblers are a group even without the barking, most of the babblers are hiding. It allows them to be hidden individually when possible, but still appear as a large group.

Hope that helps!