Question

You are studying a large flock of chickens and divide it into two halves. Each half contains the same genetic variations at the same frequencies as in the other half. To one half (the control group) you feed normal chicken chow, to the other half (the experimental group) you feed normal chicken chow supplemented with a nutritional booster. As expected, in the experimental group the hens lay an average number of eggs greater than those in the control group. Yet the heritability remains the same in both the experimental and control groups. You can explain this observation by hypothesizing that the variation in nutrition among hens is, select one of the options below and justify your answer.

A. smaller in the experimental group.

B. larger in the experimental group.

C. the same in both groups.

D. smaller in the control group.

E. larger in the control group.

Answer 1

The answer is B.

Step-by-step explanation:

We can explain why the hens in the experimental group which received the chow with the nutritional booster lay more eggs on average than the hens in the control group with the option B. The variation in nutrition among hens is larger in the second group which is the experimental group and this leads to the difference in the number of average eggs. It does not affect heritability which should be the same in both groups.

I hope this answer helps.