CAT 2020 Slot 1 VARC Question & Solution

Reading ComprehensionHard

Passage

The passage below is accompanied by a set of questions. Choose the best answer to each question.

In the late 1960s, while studying the northern-elephant-seal population along the coasts of Mexico and California, Burney Le Boeuf and his colleagues couldn’t help but notice that the threat calls of males at some sites sounded different from those of males at other sites. . . . That was the first time dialects were documented in a nonhuman mammal. . . .

All the northern elephant seals that exist today are descendants of the small herd that survived on Isla Guadalupe [after the near extinction of the species in the nineteenth century]. As that tiny population grew, northern elephant seals started to recolonize former breeding locations. It was precisely on the more recently colonized islands where Le Boeuf found that the tempos of the male vocal displays showed stronger differences to the ones from Isla Guadalupe, the founder colony.

In order to test the reliability of these dialects over time, Le Boeuf and other researchers visited Año Nuevo Island in California—the island where males showed the slowest pulse rates in their calls—every winter from 1968 to 1972. “What we found is that the pulse rate increased, but it still remained relatively slow compared to the other colonies we had measured in the past” Le Boeuf told me.

At the individual level, the pulse of the calls stayed the same: A male would maintain his vocal signature throughout his lifetime. But the average pulse rate was changing. Immigration could have been responsible for this increase, as in the early 1970s, 43 percent of the males on Año Nuevo had come from southern rookeries that had a faster pulse rate. This led Le Boeuf and his collaborator, Lewis Petrinovich, to deduce that the dialects were, perhaps, a result of isolation over time, after the breeding sites had been recolonized. For instance, the first settlers of Año Nuevo could have had, by chance, calls with low pulse rates. At other sites, where the scientists found faster pulse rates, the opposite would have happened—seals with faster rates would have happened to arrive first.

As the population continued to expand and the islands kept on receiving immigrants from the original population, the calls in all locations would have eventually regressed to the average pulse rate of the founder colony. In the decades that followed, scientists noticed that the geographical variations reported in 1969 were not obvious anymore. . . . In the early 2010s, while studying northern elephant seals on Año Nuevo Island, [researcher Caroline] Casey noticed, too, that what Le Boeuf had heard decades ago was not what she heard now. . . . By performing more sophisticated statistical analyses on both sets of data, [Casey and Le Boeuf] confirmed that dialects existed back then but had vanished. Yet there are other differences between the males from the late 1960s and their great-great-grandsons: Modern males exhibit more individual diversity, and their calls are more complex. While 50 years ago the drumming pattern was quite simple and the dialects denoted just a change in tempo, Casey explained, the calls recorded today have more complex structures, sometimes featuring doublets or triplets. . . .

Question 1

All of the following can be inferred from Le Boeuf’s study as described in the passage EXCEPT that:

male northern elephant seals might not have exhibited dialects had they not become nearly extinct in the nineteenth century.

changes in population and migration had no effect on the call pulse rate of individual male northern elephant seals.

the influx of new northern elephant seals into Año Nuevo Island would have soon made the call pulse rate of its male seals exceed that of those at Isla Guadalupe.

the average call pulse rate of male northern elephant seals at Año Nuevo Island increased from the early 1970s till the disappearance of dialects.

Solution:

Let us inspect the individual statements:

Option A: This can be inferred from the second paragraph ["...It was precisely on the more recently colonized islands where Le Boeuf found that the tempos of the male vocal displays showed stronger differences to the ones from Isla Guadalupe, the founder colony..."]. The inception of the eventual dialects has been indirectly attributed to the dynamic changes that occurred as a result of the near extinction of the elephant seals. Hence, we can infer Option A from the passage.

Option B: This can be inferred from the fourth paragraph: ["...At the individual level, the pulse of the calls stayed the same: A male would maintain his vocal signature throughout his lifetime..."] The changing variables have little to no effect of the individual vocal signature of the elephant seals. Thus, Option B can be inferred from the passage.

Option C: No such claim is made in the passage.

Option D: This can be inferred from ["...could have been responsible for this increase, as in the early 1970s, 43 per cent of the males on Año Nuevo had come from southern rookeries that had a faster pulse rate..."] and the discussion at the beginning of the final paragraph: ["...As the population continued to expand and the islands kept on receiving immigrants from the original population, the calls in all locations would have eventually regressed to the average pulse rate of the founder colony...].

Therefore, of the given statements, we cannot infer Option C.

Question 2

Which one of the following conditions, if true, could have ensured that male northern elephant seal dialects did not disappear?

Besides Isla Guadalupe, there was one more surviving colony with the same average male call tempo from which no migration took place.

The call tempo of individual male seals in host colonies changed to match the average call tempo of immigrant male seals.

Besides Isla Guadalupe, there was one more founder colony with the same average male call tempo from which male seals migrated to various other colonies.

The call tempo of individual immigrant male seals changed to match the average tempo of resident male seals in the host colony.

Solution:

A noticeable clue to ensure that the male northern elephant seal dialects did not disappear is presented in the penultimate paragraph: ["...At the individual level, the pulse of the calls stayed the same: A male would maintain his vocal signature throughout his lifetime. But the average pulse rate was changing. Immigration could have been responsible for this increase, as in the early 1970s, 43 per cent of the males on Año Nuevo had come from southern rookeries that had a faster pulse rate... "]. The loss in the dialect is due to the influx of seals with a faster pulse rate and "as the population continued to expand and the islands kept on receiving immigrants from the original population, the calls in all locations would have eventually regressed to the average pulse rate of the founder colony." Thus, if the individual pulse rate of the immigrants varies or adapts to the existing population, this could preserve the dialect in a particular region. The statement in Option D reflects this specific idea and helps sustain the existing dialect in a given population. Options A and C do little to contribute to the cause of preventing the disappearance of the dialects. Option B aligns with the discussion in the passage and is responsible for the regression of the dialects. Hence, Option D is the correct answer.

Question 3

Which one of the following best sums up the overall history of transformation of male northern elephant seal calls?

Owing to migrations in the aftermath of near species extinction, the average call pulse rates in the recolonised breeding locations exhibited a gradual increase until they matched the tempo at the founding colony.

The calls have transformed from exhibiting simple composition, less individual variety, and great regional variety to complex composition, great individual variety, and less regional variety.

Owing to migrations in the aftermath of near species extinction, the calls have transformed from exhibiting complex composition, less individual variety, and great regional variety to simple composition, less individual variety, and great regional variety.

The calls have transformed from exhibiting simple composition, great individual variety, and less regional variety to complex composition, less individual variety, and great regional variety.

Solution:

The following excerpt serves as an essential source for comparing the difference in the attributes of the elephant seals: ["...Yet there are other differences between the males from the late 1960s and their great-great-grandsons: Modern males exhibit more individual diversity, and their calls are more complex. While 50 years ago the drumming pattern was quite simple and the dialects denoted just a change in tempo, Casey explained, the calls recorded today have more complex structures, sometimes featuring doublets or triplets. . . ."]

In the late 1960s, the elephant seal calls were marked by having a simple drumming pattern which later transformed into calls with marked individual diversity and sophistication. Additionally, the dialects that were present in the 1960s were not evident during the study undertaken in the early 2010s, thereby indicating a decrease in the regional variations in the calls. These elements are aptly captured in Option B.

Question 4

From the passage it can be inferred that the call pulse rate of male northern elephant seals in the southern rookeries was faster because:

the male northern elephant seals of Isla Guadalupe with faster call pulse rates might have been the original settlers of the southern rookeries.

a large number of male northern elephant seals migrated from the southern rookeries to Año Nuevo Island in the early 1970s.

a large number of male northern elephant seals from Año Nuevo Island might have migrated to the southern rookeries to recolonise them.

the calls of male northern elephant seals in the southern rookeries have more sophisticated structures, containing doublets and triplets.

Solution:

We can make a direct inference based on the following excerpt from the fourth paragraph: ["...This led Le Boeuf and his collaborator, Lewis Petrinovich, to deduce that the dialects were, perhaps, a result of isolation over time, after the breeding sites had been recolonised. For instance, the first settlers of Año Nuevo could have had, by chance, calls with low pulse rates. At other sites, where the scientists found faster pulse rates, the opposite would have happened—seals with faster rates would have happened to arrive first..."]

Based on the above information, the only reason behind the call pulse rate of male northern elephant seals in the southern rookeries being faster would be because the male northern elephant seals of Isla Guadalupe with faster call pulse rates might have been the original settlers of this region. Option A correctly highlights this reason and is, hence, the correct answer.