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  3. For most species of animals, the number of individuals in the species is inverse

For most species of animals, the number of individuals in the species is inverse

游客2024-01-12  11
问题 For most species of animals, the number of individuals in the species is inversely proportional to the average body size for members of the species: the smaller the body size, the larger the number of individual animals. The tamarin, a small South American monkey, breaks this rule. Of the ten primate species studied in Peru’s Manu National Park, for example, the two species of tamarins, saddle-backed and emperor, are the eighth and ninth least abundant, respectively. Only the pygmy marmoset, which is even smaller, is less abundant. The tamarin’s scarcity is not easily explained; it cannot be dismissed as a consequence of diet, because tamarins feed on the same mixture of fruit, nectar, and small prey as do several of their more numerous larger counterparts, including the two capuchins known as the squirrel monkey and the night monkey. Although the relative proportions of fruits consumed varies somewhat among species, it is hard to imagine that such subtle differences are crucial to understanding the relative rarity of tamarins.
To emphasize just how anomalously rare tamarins are, we can compare them to the other omnivorous primates in the community. In terms of numbers of individuals per square kilometer, they rank well below the two capuchins, the squirrel monkey and the night monkey. And in terms of biomass, or the total weight of the individuals that occupy a unit area of habitat, each tamarin species is present at only one-twentieth the mass of brown capuchins or one-tenth that of squirrel monkeys. To gain another perspective, consider the spatial requirements of tamarins. Tamarins are rigidly territorial, vigorously expelling any intruders that may stray within the sharply defined boundaries of their domains. Groups invest an appreciable part of their time and energy in patrolling their territorial boundaries, announcing their presence to their neighbors with shrill, sweeping cries. Such concerted territoriality is rather exceptional among primates, though the gibbons and siamangs of Asia show it, as do a few other New World species such as the titi and night monkeys. What is most surprising about tamarin territories is their size.
Titi monkeys routinely live within territories of 6 to 8 hectares, and night monkeys seldom defend more than 10 hectares, but tamarin groups routinely occupy areas of 30 to 120 hectares. Contrast this with the 1 to 2 hectares needed by the common North American gray squirrel, a nonterritorial mammal of about the same size. A group of tamarins uses about as much space as a troop of brown capuchins, though the latter weighs 15 times as much. Thus, in addition to being rare, tamarins require an amount of space that seems completely out of proportion to their size. [br] The author mentions the spatial requirements of the gray squirrel in order to
选项 A、explain why they are so common
B、demonstrate the consequences of their nonterritoriality
C、emphasize the unusual territorial requirements of the tamarin
D、provide an example of a major difference between squirrels and monkeys
E、provide an example of an animal with requirements similar to those of the tamarin
答案 C
解析 Evaluation
The passage mentions the spatial requirements of the gray squirrel as part of its discussion of the surprising size of tamarin territories. Gray squirrel territories are mentioned for the specific purpose of highlighting how much more space tamarins require compared to another animal of roughly equal size.
A The passage does refer to "the common gray squirrel," but it does not explain why they are so common.
B The passage does not say anything about the consequences of the gray squirrel’s nonterritoriality.
C Correct. The spatial requirements of gray squirrels are mentioned to highlight, by contrast, how expansive the spatial requirements of tamarins are.
D Although the passage mentions the spatial requirements of the gray squirrel to highlight how different the spatial requirements of one particular type of monkey, the tamarin, are from those of other animals, the passage does not mention the squirrels’ spatial requirements to provide an example of a difference between squirrels and monkeys in general.
E The passage actually does the opposite of this—it mentions the gray squirrel’s spatial requirements to provide an example of an animal with requirements vastly different from those of the tamarin.
The correct answer is C.
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