Question

The figure above shows the amount of time it takes pigeons in groups of varying size to respond to a potential predator. Based on this graph, pigeons experience what benefit from grouping?

(A) increased vigilance
(B) dilution
(C) group defense
(D) cooperative foraging
(E) there is no benefit

Answer 1

Pigeons benefit from grouping through dilution, which lowers the individual risk of predation in larger groups, representing a common survival strategy among prey animals.

Step-by-step explanation:

Based on the information provided, pigeons experience the benefit of dilution from grouping. This concept suggests that as the group size of pigeons increases, the individual risk of predation for each pigeon decreases because there are more birds for the predator to choose from. This advantage is a primary reason why prey animals often form large groups. It is one of the key survival strategies that prey animals use in nature to reduce the likelihood of an individual being caught by predators.