Q21 - Gut Anatomy Tracks Diet Across Apes, Dogs, and Pandas

Theoretical B Real exam question - full text reproduced under IBO's CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 license

Dame Jane Goodall (1934-present) discovered that great apes (Hominidae) use tools, to access more nutritious food, and hunt for meat. Bears (Ursidae) exhibit similar behaviour, but giant pandas (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) only eat bamboo. These different animals have gut anatomies which reflect their diets, as shown. Sketches have been enlarged to similar sizes to allow comparison. Dogs (Canis lupus) represent a typical carnivore, Rhinos (Rhinocerotidae) a typical herbivore.

Figure 1 for Q21: Gut Anatomy Tracks Diet Across Apes, Dogs, and Pandas

Using the information and data, determine which of the statements are true or which are false.

A. Humans invest more energy in digestion to acquire nutrients than chimpanzees (Pan) do.

B. Chimpanzees eat more meat and fruits than orangutans (Pongo).

C. Giant panda digestive systems extract most of the nutrients present in Bamboo.

D. Food passes more rapidly through orangutans than through humans.

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Question reproduced from IBO 2017, Theoretical Exam B, licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 - attributed to the International Biology Olympiad. Open the full exam PDF · Official answer key & worked solutions