Animal Structures
read the case study “En Garde: Animal Structures & What They Mean.”
Answer the following questions (from the case study) in your discussion post about Animal Structures:
List at least 1 specific type of animal you can think of that has elaborate structures that could be used as weapons. Describe whether these structures are found in both males or females or just one sex. (You may have to Google to find out 🙂 )
Brainstorm a couple of possible purposes for these structures. What about benefits vs. costs?
Check out the questions from the case study about the data in Part III. Identify the control groups in both experiment (a) and (b). Why are these control groups important to the experiment? Read more information at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Animal
Would you be willing to say that larger size (and presumably extra weight) is costly? Please explain your answer.
Scientists often work hard to understand the connection between structure and function to fitness/evolutionary potential. When it comes to the fiddler crab, explain how structure complements function and also how structure limits function.
Explain sexual selection. How would you be able to guess whether or not extreme weapons in animals such as fiddler crabs, bull elk and moose, and bighorn rams are the result of sexual selection? Th ink about which sex displays these elaborate weapons. (Hint: Look back at Question 1 in Part II.)
