PrepTest 116

Incorrect. This doesn't explain why the beetles decide to cooperate after the eggs hatch, no matter when that hatching happens.

Incorrect. The goal of the beetles isn't to ensure the greatest number of beetles survive, but rather that the greatest number of their own brood survive. This answer doesn't explain why they would destroy the eggs ahead of hatching.

Correct. Argument or Facts:
Facts

Question Type:
Paradox

Stimulus Summary:
Burying beetle goal — Maximize their relative brood size
Before hatching — Burying beetles destroy each other's eggs
After hatching — All the beetles come together to raise all the baby beetles

Answer Anticipation:
As with all Paradox questions, let's start by defining the paradox. This question concerns the different behavior seen in burying beetles before and after their eggs hatch, in the context of reaching their goal of maximizing their relative brood size. In other words, their goal is to have the biggest family.

Since it deals with different behavior, our paradox revolves around a comparison. Comparative paradoxes usually have an explanation that matches the type of comparison in the stimulus—so here, we're looking for a difference between before and after hatching that explains the change in behavior.

We don't know much about beetles to get topical with our anticipation, so let's head to the answers with this framework in mind!

Answer Explanation:
This answer provides a difference from before and after hatching that would explain the different behavior. Before hatching, they destroy the other beetles's eggs. After hatching, they can't tell which larvae are theirs and which are some other beetles, so they stop killing them to ensure that as many of their own larvae survive as possible (and they don't accidentally take their own kids out).

Key Takeaway:
Paradoxes that involve comparisons usually have an answer that matches" the comparison in the stimulus. Unexpected similarities are usually explained with other similarities; unexpected differences with other differences.

Incorrect. This explains the post—hatching cooperation but not the pre—hatching egg—icide.

Incorrect. This makes the paradox worse—if you want your brood to be largest, and there are limited resources, as a beetle, you'd probably take out the other beetles's larvae.