GRE课程
Questions 1 and 2 are based on this passage
For Temnothorax ants in search of suitable rock crevices for new nest sites, size is an important consideration, and certain behaviors suggest how scouts might compare the size of several sites. After entering a crevice, scouts invariably exit and reenter. During their first inspection, they mark their route with their personal pheromones. (Experiments have shown that workers can distinguish their own pheromones from those of nest mates.) Some researchers believe that these ants are counting the frequency of intersections between their two exploratory trails. The smaller the area, the more likely they are to cross a spot twice. The observation that Temnothorax scouts always pave out a path of the same length on their first visit to sites strongly supports this hypothesis.
In light of the claim made by the “researchers”, it can be inferred that ants’ ability to distinguish their own pheromones from these of nest mates is important primarily because
ants would otherwise be unable to tell whether potential mating sites were occupied by related colonies.
the ability aids in the assignment of specific tracks such as scouting for new nests, among the various members of a nest.
ants who could not distinguish their own personal pheromones would be unable to tell if they had previously embraced a site
pheromone differentiation is essential to account evaluation of potential nesting sites
pheromone differentiation is essential to ants’ ability to evaluate the size of crevices before entering them
Select one answer choice.
