Question

who are the real parents? uncovering the truth about lulus cubs
what do the data reveal about the true parentage of lulus cubs, and why is genetic data important for accurately determining relatedness in lion prides?
write a scientific explanation that answers the question using the claim - evidence - reasoning (cer) format. your cer will be one paragraph of 5 - 8 complete sentences.
start with your claim (topic sentence) that answers the scientific question. include evidence from at least three different types of data you analyzed. use reasoning to connect your evidence to scientific ideas about inheritance, relatedness, and animal behavior.
remember you can weave the evidence and reasoning together, explaining the importance of each piece of evidence immediately when you introduce it in the paragraph.
claim: state whether lulu is the mother of all the cubs or not, whether they share the same father or not, and why the field observations were misleading.
evidence: describe numbers, patterns, and/or trends from:

• field observations data
• lion movement and pride behavior
• dna genotype results at multiple genetic markers or loci

reasoning: explain why genotype data was the most useful. include:

• how alleles are inherited from each parent
• why genotype data reveals relatedness better than observations
• how alloparenting behavior can hide true parentage

optional sentence - starters

• claim: the parentage of lulus cubs was not what we expected because...
• evidence: field notes suggested... / behavior patterns showed... / genotype data revealed...
• reasoning: genotype data was most helpful because... / this activity shows that scientists must...

closing statement
end your cer with a strong closing sentence that emphasizes the deeper lesson about inheritance and relatedness.
here are some example sentence starters for a strong closing statement.

Explanation:

The task involves analyzing genetic data (genotype) and field - observations related to the parentage of Lulu's cubs in a lion pride. It requires constructing a scientific argument using the Claim - Evidence - Reasoning (CER) framework. The key concepts are inheritance of alleles, relatedness shown by genotype data, and animal behavior observations.

Answer:

Claim: The genetic data and field observations can accurately determine the true parentage of Lulu's cubs.
Evidence: Genotype data reveals which alleles are inherited from each parent, and field notes on lion movement and pride behavior can show patterns related to parent - cub relationships. For example, if certain genetic markers are unique to specific lions, and those lions are observed interacting closely with the cubs, it provides evidence of parentage. Also, if the behavior patterns of alloparenting are consistent with the genetic relatedness indicated by the genotype data, it further supports the claim.
Reasoning: Alleles are passed down from parents to offspring, and by analyzing the genotype data, we can trace the inheritance patterns. Field observations help to confirm the genetic findings as behaviors such as nurturing and protection are often associated with biological parent - offspring relationships. The combination of these two types of data provides a more comprehensive understanding of the cubs' parentage. Closing Statement: The case of Lulu's cubs shows that by integrating genetic and behavioral data, scientists can gain a deeper understanding of inheritance and social structures within lion prides.