[Campbell Biology P.1200] Regarding paternity certainty and parental care, which of the follo... | Practice Question
Regarding paternity certainty and parental care, which of the following statements is best supported by the provided text?
A: In species with internal fertilization, male parental care is common because paternity certainty is generally high.
B: Certainty of paternity is high when egg laying and mating occur together, as in external fertilization, making male parental care as likely as female parental care in many aquatic groups.
C: Parental behavior is a conscious choice by animals, based on their awareness of paternity certainty factors.
D: Male parental care is more prevalent in species with internal fertilization than in those with external fertilization among fishes and amphibians.
Explanation
The text explains that certainty of paternity is high when egg laying and mating occur together, as in external fertilization. This high certainty may explain why parental care in aquatic invertebrates, fishes, and amphibians, when it occurs at all, is at least as likely to be by males as by females.