Video Transcript
The picture shows humpback
whales. Which of the following facts about
humpback whales is not a behavioral adaptation? (A) The humpback whale’s body can
withstand diving to about 200 meters. (B) Humpback whales sing to
communicate with each other. (C) Humpback whales can hunt in
packs. Or (D) to mate with a female, male
humpback whales fight for dominance.
This question is asking us to
discern which of the answer choices is not a behavioral adaptation of humpback
whales. To do this, let’s start by defining
what a behavioral adaptation is.
A behavioral adaptation is a
specific action or behavior that an organism performs that makes it well suited to
its specific environment. Often, behavioral adaptations help
an organism to survive or to reproduce. For example, option (C) describes
humpback whales hunting in packs. This can be a really helpful action
for an organism to take as it makes finding food more efficient. More food means a better chance of
survival. As option (C) does describe a
behavioral adaptation and we are looking for an answer choice that does not, this
cannot be the correct answer.
We mentioned that some behavioral
adaptations can help an organism to reproduce rather than just survive. A good example of this is humpback
whales singing to communicate with each other, as described in answer option
(B). Most whales live in vast oceans and
seas, often exceptionally long distances from other whales, including potential
mates. Humpback whales’ songs can travel
thousands of miles, and a male’s song often advertises to female whales that they
are looking for a mate to reproduce with. Sometimes other male humpbacks
might hear this song too.
To gain the ability to mate, these
competitive males often fight for dominance, as is stated in answer choice (D). The winning male is often the only
one who will be allowed to mate with the female, thereby ensuring he can reproduce
successfully. Whale songs and fighting for
dominance are both actions the whale takes, so these are also behavioral adaptations
and can be eliminated.
Answer choice (A) — the humpback
whale’s body can withstand diving to about 200 meters — is not describing a
behavior that the humpback whale can take. Instead, this is describing a
physical attribute of the body of the whale that helps it to find food. This is an example of a different
type of adaptation, a structural adaptation. A structural adaptation is a
special physical feature of an organism that makes it well suited to its
environment.
Knowing this, we can deduce the
correct answer to this question. The answer option that is not a
behavioral adaptation of the humpback whale is (A). The humpback whale’s body can
withstand diving to about 200 meters.
