A functional explanation of why giraffes have such long necks is that:

a. it lowers the blood pressure in their brains.
b. their necks became longer because they stretched them.
c. it allows them greater access to their food supply.
d. parent giraffes make their babies reach for food.

Having camouflage that matches an animal’s typical surroundings in order to provide protection from predators is an example of a(n) ____ explanation.

a. evolutionary
b. functional
c. ontogenetic
d. physiological

An evolutionary explanation of why we get goose bumps when cold is that:

a. the sympathetic nervous system is activated.
b. we inherited the mechanism from our remote ancestors who had more hair.
c. it keeps us warm.
d. children are often raised in cold environments.

Mapping out the relationship between shared bone structures across different species suggests there is a(n) ____ explanation.

a. ontogenetic
b. evolutionary
c. behavioral
d. physiological

A person who studies the influence of genetic predisposition to be aggressive in combination with early aggressive experiences is seeking for a(n) ____ explanation.

a. physiological
b. behavioral
c. evolutionary
d. ontogenetic

Understanding differences in intelligence as a function of early learning experiences is an example of a(n) ____ explanation.

a. ontogenetic
b. physiological
c. functional
d. evolutionary

Explaining differences in running speed as a function of differences in muscle fiber types is an example of a(n) ____ explanation.

a. ontogenetic
b. physiological
c. evolutionary
d. functional

A(n) ____ explanation would describe eating in terms of the hypothalamus affecting insulin production, which affects the availability of glucose in cells.

a. physiological
b. ontogenetic
c. evolutionary
d. functional

Which type of explanation describes how a structure or behavior develops?

a. Physiological
b. Ontogenetic
c. Evolutionary
d. Functional

Understanding how genes, nutrition, and experience work together to produce a tendency toward a particular sexual orientation is an example of a(n) ____ explanation.

a. ontogenetic
b. evolutionary
c. functional
d. common sense