In a species of gecko, males are polymorphic such that some males are yellow and other males are white. A student hypothesises that body colour is a signal of aggression. To test this, he measures aggression in yellow and white males. He also measures body size in every individual he tests. He plots the data in the following way (yellow males: solid line and filled dots; white males: dashed line and open dots). Which one of the following statements is correct based on these data?
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When interpreting scatter plots, look for clear trends in the data. In this case, body size correlates with aggression in yellow males but not in white males.
All yellow males are more aggressive than white males.
Body size is correlated with aggression in all males.
Body size correlates with aggression in yellow males only.
Small yellow males are more aggressive than small white males.
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The Correct Option isC
Solution and Explanation
The key to answering this question is interpreting the graph and understanding the relationship between body size and aggression for yellow and white males.
Step 1: Analyze the graph.
The graph shows a clear pattern where yellow males (represented by solid line and filled dots) exhibit a positive correlation between body size and aggression. As the body size increases, aggression also increases.
For white males (represented by dashed line and open dots), there is no noticeable trend or correlation between body size and aggression. The data points are scattered without any clear pattern.
Step 2: Evaluate the options.
- Option (A): This is incorrect because the graph does not show that all yellow males are more aggressive than white males; aggression is related to body size in yellow males, but not in all yellow males.
- Option (B): This is incorrect because while body size is correlated with aggression in yellow males, there is no such correlation in white males.
- Option (C): This is correct because the graph shows that body size is correlated with aggression in yellow males but not in white males.
- Option (D): This is incorrect because the graph does not suggest that small yellow males are more aggressive than small white males. The relationship between body size and aggression is not evident for white males.
Step 3: Conclusion.
Based on the graph, the correct answer is (C), as body size correlates with aggression only in yellow males.
