Question: Part C – Behavior in Egyptian vultures Scientists have made the following observations: Egyptian …

Part C – Behavior in Egyptian
vultures Scientists have made the following observations: Egyptian
vultures use rocks to break open ostrich eggs, which they then eat.
A vulture may search as far as 50 m away from an ostrich egg for an
appropriate rock (which is generally egg-shaped) to use to break
the egg. The vulture then throws the rock at the egg until the egg
cracks. This same rock-throwing behavior also occurs in young
captive-hatched birds that have not been exposed to rock-throwing
adults. However, these naive vultures had to learn that the ostrich
eggs were a source of food. Some scientists theorize that this
behavior developed from the tactic of throwing smaller eggs to
break them open. Ostrich eggs, however, are too big to pick up and
throw, so perhaps the rock-throwing technique evolved in the
vultures. This could explain why vultures choose rocks that are
egg-shaped, rather than ones that are jagged or irregular. Based on
the scientists’ observations and your knowledge of animal behavior,
which of the following statements are true?