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lesson pretestMultiple Choice

Pretest

Question 1 • TPS EdX Biology

Amaya collected insects in the forest. She was unable to identify one unusual looking insect using a dichotomous key. Amaya concluded that the insect must be a new species. Which facts would support the conclusion that the insect is a new species?

Answer
A
The way the insect was collected may have caused damage to its exoskeleton and wings.
B
The normal diet of many insects in the forest has been seriously altered by a recent drought.
C
Several other thorough and up-to-date dichotomous keys also failed to identify the insect.
D
The insect cannot be identified based on one of the first three questions.

Explanation

A single dichotomous key might be incomplete or outdated, so failing to identify the insect with that key alone does not prove it is a new species. If several other thorough, up-to-date keys also fail to identify it, that is stronger evidence that it may not match any known species. Damage or changes in diet could affect the insect’s appearance or behavior without making it a new species.

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