Generally, Interspecific Matings Represent an Evolutionary Dead End, Producing Sterile Offspring GMAT Reading Comprehension

Reading passage comprehension

Generally, interspecific matings represent an evolutionary dead end, producing sterile offspring, if any at all. For some specific species of birds, however, such pairings may indeed bring evolutionary advantages to the participants. In the case of the female collared flycatchers of Gotland, three distinct factors may work to make interspecific pairings with pied flycatcher males reproductively beneficial.

In many instances, female collared flycatchers nest with male pied flycatchers while continuing to mate with other collared flycatchers, in effect parasitizing the pied flycatchers, who invest in rearing and fledging any offspring. Often, more than half of the offspring raised by interspecific flycatcher pairs are, in fact, not hybrids. Furthermore, an estimated 65 percent of the hybrid offspring on the resident pied flycatcher male are male. Because hybrid females are sterile and male are not, this male bias minimizes the primary disadvantage of interspecific matings: sterile offspring. Habitat specialization may be a third mechanism: These pairings tend to occur in the late spring when the coniferous woods favored by the pied flycatcher provide a greater availability of food than the deciduous woods where the collared flycatchers tend to live. Together, these factors form a mechanism to improve substantially the reproductive success of female collared flycatchers beyond what would be expected of interspecific mating with pied flycatcher males.

Although all three of these mechanisms appear to act in concert to form a single elaborate mechanism specifically evolved to circumvent the usual disadvantages of interspecific mating, studies have shown similar motivations for the behavior of female collared flycatchers mating within the species. According to Professor Siever Rohwer, collared flycatcher females will choose to nest with subordinate collared flycatcher males that inhabit good territory because collared flycatcher females must pair-bond in order to be successful in raising offspring. To engender the best offspring, however, the females will continue to copulate with higher-quality collared males with whom they are not paired. Thus, females seem to be nesting with males of any species with the best territories available at the time, but they will continue to mate with more attractive males outside of the pair bonds.

A highly unusual behavior, interspecific mating seems to provide certain reproductive advantages to the collared flycatcher female. However, it remains unclear whether the mating behavior of female collared flycatchers evolved to circumvent the usual problems with interspecific mating or whether the behavior is simply an extension of how female collared flycatchers behave when mating within their own species.

“Generally, interspecific matings represent an evolutionary dead end, producing sterile offspring GMAT Reading Comprehension” is a sample text regarding the test GMAT.

This text is regarding GMAT Reading Comprehension and for the students who will give the test GMAT.There are six questions from the text and these questions will help students know the pattern of the test and will help acknowledging their abilities and understandings, for more sample texts students can go through GMAT Reading Comprehension Practice Questions.

Solution and Explanation

1. The author's primary purpose is to

(A) criticize the basis of a scientific theory.
(B) defend a hypothesis concerning bird-mating behaviors.
(C) point out the need for further study of female collared flycatchers.
(D) describe two possible explanations for the interspecific mating behavior of female collared flycatchers.
(E) defend an unpopular view of a natural phenomenon

2.  According to the passage, female collared flycatchers' mating with male pied flycatchers could be explained by any of the following reasons EXCEPT:

(A) Food is more available in pied flycatcher territories during the mating season.
(B) Male pied flycatchers can help raise offspring successfully, even if the offspring are not theirs.
(C) Male pied flycatchers sire more female offspring than do collared flycatcher males, increasing the reproductive success of the female collared flycatcher.
(D) Females are known to nest with subordinate males while pursuing extra-pair copulation with higher-quality males.
(E) Females enjoy greater reproductive success by pair-bonding with an inferior male than by not pair-bonding at all.

3.  The bias toward male offspring resulting from the mating of collared flycatcher females and pied flycatcher males is presented as evidence that

(A) collared flycatcher females that mate with pied flycatcher males have more dominant male offspring.
(B) the offspring from extra-pair matings with collared flycatcher males are more frequently male.
(C) female flycatchers are not deterred from interspecific pairing by the likelihood of sterile hybrid offspring.
(D) males are produced to reduce interspecific inbreeding in future generations.
(E) interspecific breeding is normal in all varieties of flycatchers.

4.  It can be inferred from the passage that

(A) food resources are an important determinant of success in raising offspring.
(B) having 50 percent male offspring is not optimal for collared flycatcher pairs.
(C) flycatchers generally mate for life.
(D) males do not vary in the benefits they provide to their offspring.
(E) over half of all females engage in extra-pair matings.

5.  Professor Rowher would most likely agree with which of the following statements?

(A) All traits related to particular functions have evolved only for those particular functions.
(B) Flycatchers represent the best population for studies of bird-mating behavior.
(C) Behaviors may appear functional even under conditions other than those under which the behaviors evolved.
(D) Evolution has played no role in shaping the behavior of interspecifically paired flycatchers.
(E) Hybridization is generally beneficial.

6.  The mating behavior of female collared flycatchers paired with subordinate male flycatchers is offered as

(A) an unwarranted assumption behind the adaptive explanation of interspecific matings.
(B) an alternative explanation for pair matings of collared females with pied males.
(C) evidence supporting the hypothesis of adaption for interspecific breeding.
(D) a discredited mainstream explanation for why hybridization is a dead end.
(E) proof in support of the theory that collared and pied flycatchers are separate species.

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