Bio Question

[2y4life]

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There are two different kinds of studies, experimental and comparative/observational.

Which of the hypothesis below demonstrates the observational strategy used in biology?

a. A diet supplemented with calcium affects the number of offspring Gallus gallus, chickens, will produce.

b. Fertilizer affect the production of flowers in angiosperms (flowering plants).

c. The gender of reptiles is determined by environmental factors.

d. Bob cats are the most agile animals in the cat family.

e. Red roses smell more beautiful that yellow roses.

 

[dnp123]

This is not a place to ask homework questions.

But Ill be nice this time as one time exception, the answer is c.

 

[2y4life]

It's not a homework question but rather a question from our exam that I got wrong and was trying to see why. The right answer, while important, is not as important as knowing and understanding how or why.

Thanks for taking your time to give an answer but can you explain why you chose C

 

[dfib slim]

I would have chosen D

 

[Queen Beach]

Hi, I would pick C. Well, immediately you can eliminate A & B because those are experimental. Also, E could be eliminated because it's definitely an opinion. I was stuck between C & D, but D doesn't seem scientific to me. How can you collect data on that? However, C you could observe and collect data. For example, during wet season (April to June), more females are born.

 

[dfib slim]

Hi, I would pick C. Well, immediately you can eliminate A & B because those are experimental. Also, E could be eliminated because it's definitely an opinion. I was stuck between C & D, but D doesn't seem scientific to me. How can you collect data on that? However, C you could observe and collect data. For example, during wet season (April to June), more females are born.

I figured C could be experimental. By manipulating the temperature during incubation you could influence gender. D isn't something you can experiment on but I guess you can observe and compare the agility between different species of cats and arrive at the conclusion that bob cats are the most agile.

 

[2y4life]

Here is my thought process.

Like QB, I know it cannot be A or B since "treatment" is definitely needed and I know it SHOULD NOT be C since it's subjective.

With C, the hypothesis states that gender of reptiles are dependent on environmental factors. I believe this could be both observational/comparative and experimental but to come to a better conclusion and scientific theory, an experiment should be performed. If gender is dependent on environmental factors, the only way to know for sure is isolate some of the environmental factors to see if it is true. Much like in alligators with temperature-dependent sex determination, TSD, experimental studies were carried out numerous times in the 1960s to test the hypothesis. The manipulation of temperature was the only way to know for sure if the sex/gender was really dependent on the temperature, thus temperature is the independent variable. Looking at alligators in the same "environment", it is extremely difficult to come up data to support the environmental/temperature dependent sex determination since all the alligators were nesting in the same environment which would disprove the hypothesis.

With D, the hypothesis states that bobcats are the most agile in the cat family. A broad study would have to be conducted but nothing would have to be manipulated or held constant etc. One caveat is the word agile would have to be defined in the study such as quickness, leaping ability, speed, and reaction or something along those lines. Scientists can observe and measure the agility (quickness, leaping ability, speed, reaction) of various cats and come to a conclusion on whether bobcats are actually the most agile animal in the cat family or not.

 

[Queen Beach]

I agree that environmental factors could be manipulated, but you can also observe that without manipulating anything.
But to me, D seems more like an opinion of an mere observation without any data to back it up.

I figured C could be experimental. By manipulating the temperature during incubation you could influence gender. D isn't something you can experiment on but I guess you can observe and compare the agility between different species of cats and arrive at the conclusion that bob cats are the most agile.

 

[Queen Beach]

I like the fact that you are thinking now, but that's why I didn't like D because of the word "agile"

Here is my thought process.

Like QB, I know it cannot be A or B since "treatment" is definitely needed and I know it SHOULD NOT be C since it's subjective.

With C, the hypothesis states that gender of reptiles are dependent on environmental factors. I believe this could be both observational/comparative and experimental but to come to a better conclusion and scientific theory, an experiment should be performed. If gender is dependent on environmental factors, the only way to know for sure is isolate some of the environmental factors to see if it is true. Much like in alligators with temperature-dependent sex determination, TSD, experimental studies were carried out numerous times in the 1960s to test the hypothesis. The manipulation of temperature was the only way to know for sure if the sex/gender was really dependent on the temperature, thus temperature is the independent variable. Looking at alligators in the same "environment", it is extremely difficult to come up data to support the environmental/temperature dependent sex determination since all the alligators were nesting in the same environment which would disprove the hypothesis.

With D, the hypothesis states that bobcats are the most agile in the cat family. A broad study would have to be conducted but nothing would have to be manipulated or held constant etc. One caveat is the word agile would have to be defined in the study such as quickness, leaping ability, speed, and reaction or something along those lines. Scientists can observe and measure the agility (quickness, leaping ability, speed, reaction) of various cats and come to a conclusion on whether bobcats are actually the most agile animal in the cat family or not.

 

[dfib slim]

I agree that environmental factors could be manipulated, but you can also observe that without manipulating anything.
But to me, D seems more like an opinion of an mere observation without any data to back it up.

You can always use something like a radar gun to measure the speed.

 

[Queen Beach]

True lol

You can always use something like a radar gun to measure the speed.

 

[2y4life]

You can always use something like a radar gun to measure the speed.

The term "fastest" is somewhat like agile and it's accepted within the scientific community that the cheetah is the fastest land animal in the world. Radar guns can be used or simple physics to calculate it's peak velocity, instantaneous velocity as well as its acceleration. The word agile, to me, can be easily defined scientifically. I appreciate the comments QB

 

[Queen Beach]

I still think it's C though.

 

[LuckBloodandSweat]

I want to say it's D but I understand the arguments to both C and D.