Question

select the word or phrase that is redundant and can be removed without changing the meaning of the text.

new research suggests that plain female birds once had plumage that was as colorful and multihued as that of male birds today.

Explanation:

To determine redundancy, analyze word meanings. "Colorful" and "multihued" both describe having multiple colors. So "multihued" (or "colorful") is redundant. Since the phrase is "colorful and multihued", removing "multihued" (or "colorful") keeps the meaning. But in the context, "multihued" repeats the idea of "colorful". So the redundant phrase is "multihued" (or "colorful", but here "multihued" is the one that can be removed as "colorful" already conveys the idea, and "multihued" is an extra term with the same meaning). Wait, actually, "colorful" and "multihued" are synonyms. So either could be redundant, but in the sentence, "colorful and multihued" – since both mean having many colors, one can be removed. So the redundant word/phrase is "multihued" (or "colorful", but let's check: "plumage that was as colorful as that of male birds" or "as multihued as" – but "colorful" and "multihued" are synonyms. So the redundant part is "multihued" (or "colorful", but in the sentence, "colorful and multihued" – so one of them. Let's see: "colorful" means having color, "multihued" means having multiple hues (colors). So they are very similar. So the redundant phrase is "multihued" (or "colorful", but the answer here is "multihued" or "colorful"? Wait, the sentence is "as colorful and multihued as" – so removing either. But the question is to select the word or phrase. So the redundant one is "multihued" (or "colorful", but let's confirm: "colorful" is about having color, "multihued" is about multiple hues. But in the context of bird plumage, both mean having many colors. So the redundant term is "multihued" (or "colorful"). But the answer is "multihued" (or "colorful", but in the sentence, "colorful and multihued" – so the redundant phrase is "multihued" (or "colorful"). But the correct answer is "multihued" (or "colorful", but let's check the sentence: "plumage that was as colorful and multihued as that of male birds today." So removing "multihued" leaves "colorful", which still conveys the idea. So the redundant word is "multihued".

Answer:

multihued