You are studying nest building in two bird species. Species A builds a long hanging nest while species B builds a short nest that sits on top of tree branches. You interbreed the birds in the lab and then examine the nests that the offspring produce. QTL analysis shows that whether a nest is built to hang or sit is affected by a single genetic locus. The length of the nest is also determined by the same genetic locus. What can you infer about the evolution of this behavior?
A) It is a complex behavior that evolved out of a combination of two simpler behaviors.
B) It is a complex behavior where different aspects of the behavior are affected by the same set of genetic instructions.
C) It is a simple behavior that evolved out of a combination of even simpler behaviors.
D) It is a learned behavior without a genetic component.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The QTL analysis indicates that both the hanging/sitting aspect and the length of the nest are controlled by the same genetic locus, suggesting that these different aspects of nest building behavior are influenced by the same genetic instructions, making it a complex behavior.

You Are Studying Nest Building in Two Bird Species