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← Theoretical 2

Q88 — Free Choice vs Random Union — Assortative Mating in Pigeons

Theoretical 2 Real exam question — full text reproduced under IBO's CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 license
Mating Systems & Sexual Selection

Researchers developed two groups of common pigeons, Columba livia, “free choice” and “random union”. In the first group, all the pigeons, both females and males, were released into a single cage, where they were able to freely court and form pairs. In the second, “random union” group, each of multiple cages was filled with one male and one female together, until they began to court and form pairs, after which the pairs were released into a common cage. In the “free choice” group, the courtship process took significantly longer than in the “random union” group. However, the pairs of the “free choice” group started to breed earlier and laid more fertilized eggs. In both groups, the attractiveness of different individuals for the opposite sex (both males and females) was very different. In the “free choice” group, the couples formed from individuals with similar levels of attractiveness (both partners had high, medium or low attractiveness), while in the “random union” group this pairing pattern was not present.

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

A. The only explanation for the pairing pattern observed in the "free-choice" group is that the birds were aiming to pair with a similarly attractive individual.
B. The reproductive rate in the "random union" group of common pigeons is due to the possibility of forming pairs of males and females of the matching level of attractiveness.
C. The freedom to choose a partner increases the reproductive capacity of common pigeons.
D. Results of this experiment suggest that over time the population of common pigeon will be selected for more attractive traits.
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Question reproduced from IBO 2022, Theoretical Paper 2, licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 — attributed to the International Biology Olympiad. Open the full exam PDF · Community solutions (unofficial)