Question

optimal foraging theory (oft) holds that animals foraging behaviors reflect cost - benefit trade - offs that vary by species and with dynamic ecological circumstances. one such circumstance is lunar intensity, which mary v. price and colleagues found to be negatively associated with foraging by white - throated woodrats but simon kenneth bearder and colleagues found to be positively associated with foraging by mohol bushbabies. this discrepancy is explicable in terms of oft: the bushbabies greater reliance on vision means that higher lunar intensity benefits them more than it benefits the woodrats.
information in the text best supports which statement about mohol bushbabies?
a. if increased lunar intensity imposed the same costs on the bushbabies that it imposes on white - throated woodrats, there would be no association between lunar intensity and the bushbabies foraging.
b. if the advantages that the bushbabies gain from increased lunar intensity explain the change in their foraging behavior, those advantages are likely shared by some other species that are not heavily reliant on vision.
c. if increased lunar intensity creates any disadvantages for the bushbabies, those disadvantages are more than compensated for by the advantages that the bushbabies gain.
d. if the bushbabies foraging behavior under increased lunar intensity actually reflects a cost - benefit trade - off, their behavior should be more similar to that of white - throated woodrats than it is.

Explanation:

The text states that OFT involves cost - benefit trade - offs. For Mohol bushbabies, higher lunar intensity is positively associated with foraging. This implies that even if there are some disadvantages (costs) from increased lunar intensity, the advantages (benefits) they get (like better foraging due to their reliance on vision) must outweigh those costs.

Answer:

C. If increased lunar intensity creates any disadvantages for the bushbabies, those disadvantages are more than compensated for by the advantages that the bushbabies gain.