Males of a species of sparrow sing very rapid songs.Experimental evidence shows that females of this species prefer these fast songs over slowed-down songs.Which would be the strongest support for the sensory exploitation hypothesis?
A) Related species have males that also sing very fast, and females also prefer these fast songs.
B) Related species have males that also sing very fast, but females prefer males with slower songs.
C) Related species have males that do not sing as fast, but the females from these other species also prefer very fast songs over songs of males from their own species.
D) Related species have males that do not sing as fast, and females from these species prefer the song speeds of males of their own species.
E) Females of related species are indifferent to the speed of the males' songs.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The sensory exploitation hypothesis suggests that a male's trait exploits a pre-existing sensory bias in females. Choice C provides support for this hypothesis by showing that females from other species that do not have males that sing as fast still prefer the fast songs over the songs of males from their own species, indicating a pre-existing sensory bias for fast songs.

Males of a Species of Sparrow Sing Very Rapid Songs