Question

name: susabel
the great white pelican
the great white pelican (pelecanus onocrotalus) is a migratory bird. when migrating, these birds form a v - shaped pattern. for many years, scientists were not sure why they flew in this formation. recently, ornithologists fitted pelicans with heart rate monitors and tracked wing - beat frequency (how often pelicans beat their wings) in hopes to bring a conclusion to this long unsolved mystery.

1. circle the part of the graph that shows the pelicans in the v - shaped pattern described in the paragraph above. what did you use and the image?
2. a student claims that flying in a v - shaped pattern is an adaptive behavior that allows birds to conserve (save) energy. which of the following is evidence from the graph that supports this claim? (check all that apply)

☐ a bird gliding has the lowest mean heart rate
☐ birds in formation have a lower mean heart rate than birds alone
☐ birds in formation beat their wings less often than those alone
☐ birds flying alone at 1 m have the highest wingbeat frequency
figure 1: wing - beat frequency distribution of pelicans engaged in various types of flight

Explanation:

Question 2 Analysis (Supporting the Adaptive Behavior Claim)

To determine which options support the claim that flying in a V - shaped pattern (formation) is an adaptive behavior that conserves energy, we analyze each option based on the relationship between wing - beat frequency/heart rate and energy conservation (lower wing - beat frequency or heart rate generally means less energy use):

Option 1: "A bird gliding has the least mean heart rate"

Gliding is not the same as flying in a V - shaped formation. The claim is about the V - shaped formation, so this option is not relevant to supporting the claim about the V - shaped formation's energy - conserving effect. So we do not check this option.

Option 2: "Birds in formation have a lower mean heart rate than birds alone"

Heart rate is related to energy expenditure. A lower mean heart rate in birds flying in formation compared to those flying alone implies that the birds in formation are using less energy. This supports the idea that flying in a V - shaped formation is an adaptive behavior for energy conservation. So we check this option.

Option 3: "Birds in formation beat their wings less often than those alone"

Wing - beat frequency is also related to energy use. If birds in formation beat their wings less often, it means they are expending less energy on wing - beating. This supports the claim that flying in a V - shaped formation helps conserve energy. So we check this option.

Option 4: "Birds flying alone at 1 m have the highest wing - beat frequency"

This option only tells us about the wing - beat frequency of birds flying alone. It does not provide a comparison that shows the advantage (in terms of energy conservation) of flying in a V - shaped formation. So we do not check this option.

Final Answer for Question 2

The options that support the claim are:

• A bird gliding has the least mean heart rate: No (not relevant to V - shaped formation)
• Birds in formation have a lower mean heart rate than birds alone: Yes (checked)
• Birds in formation beat their wings less often than those alone: Yes (checked)
• Birds flying alone at 1 m have the highest wing - beat frequency: No (not supporting the claim about V - shaped formation)

So the correct options to check are "Birds in formation have a lower mean heart rate than birds alone" and "Birds in formation beat their wings less often than those alone".

Answer:

Question 2 Analysis (Supporting the Adaptive Behavior Claim)

To determine which options support the claim that flying in a V - shaped pattern (formation) is an adaptive behavior that conserves energy, we analyze each option based on the relationship between wing - beat frequency/heart rate and energy conservation (lower wing - beat frequency or heart rate generally means less energy use):

Option 1: "A bird gliding has the least mean heart rate"

Gliding is not the same as flying in a V - shaped formation. The claim is about the V - shaped formation, so this option is not relevant to supporting the claim about the V - shaped formation's energy - conserving effect. So we do not check this option.

Option 2: "Birds in formation have a lower mean heart rate than birds alone"

Heart rate is related to energy expenditure. A lower mean heart rate in birds flying in formation compared to those flying alone implies that the birds in formation are using less energy. This supports the idea that flying in a V - shaped formation is an adaptive behavior for energy conservation. So we check this option.

Option 3: "Birds in formation beat their wings less often than those alone"

Wing - beat frequency is also related to energy use. If birds in formation beat their wings less often, it means they are expending less energy on wing - beating. This supports the claim that flying in a V - shaped formation helps conserve energy. So we check this option.

Option 4: "Birds flying alone at 1 m have the highest wing - beat frequency"

This option only tells us about the wing - beat frequency of birds flying alone. It does not provide a comparison that shows the advantage (in terms of energy conservation) of flying in a V - shaped formation. So we do not check this option.

Final Answer for Question 2

The options that support the claim are:

• A bird gliding has the least mean heart rate: No (not relevant to V - shaped formation)
• Birds in formation have a lower mean heart rate than birds alone: Yes (checked)
• Birds in formation beat their wings less often than those alone: Yes (checked)
• Birds flying alone at 1 m have the highest wing - beat frequency: No (not supporting the claim about V - shaped formation)

So the correct options to check are "Birds in formation have a lower mean heart rate than birds alone" and "Birds in formation beat their wings less often than those alone".