#20 - Concept Reference, Must Be True

[Administrator]

Complete Question Explanation

The correct answer choice is (D).

Answer choice (A):

Answer choice (B):

Answer choice (C):

Answer choice (D): This is the correct answer choice.

Answer choice (E):

This explanation is still in progress. Please post any questions below!

[a.hopp]

Could you explain why A (dark throat plumage) is incorrect?

I was initially drawn to A due to the last sentence of the first paragraph ("An external signal...").

I was torn between A and D as it seems a strong fighting ability or the appearance of fighting ability announced by external signals like plumage type would translate to high status.

[Jeremy Press]

Hi a.hopp,

The problem with answer choice A is that, although the passage wraps up the first paragraph by saying that "plumage type" could be a status signaling attribute, the author goes on to review Rohwer's data (which are specifically about "dark throat plumage" in Harris sparrows) and to conclude that "the Harris sparrows’ age-related plumage differences do not signal the status of individual birds within an age class, and thus cannot properly be included under the term "status signaling.""

So since the data don't support specifically dark throat plumage as a status signaler, we have to get rid of answer choice A.