For decades, biologists hypothesized that juvenile play behavior in mammals serves primarily to refine the motor skills needed for adulthood, such as hunting or escaping predators. However, evolutionary biologist Dr. Evelyn Vance argues that play's primary function is cognitive adaptability. Vance points out that play is characterized by highly exaggerated, non-functional sequences that do not replicate actual hunting or flight behaviors. Furthermore, her observations of juvenile brown bears revealed that individuals engaging in high levels of play did not exhibit superior hunting success rates as adults compared to their less playful peers. Instead, Vance's research showed that bears subjected to unpredictable, play-deprived environments struggled significantly to adapt to novel environmental stressors, such as sudden shifts in food availability or territory intrusion. To support her cognitive flexibility model, Vance cites neurological studies showing that play stimulates the growth of neural connections in the prefrontal cortex, the brain region responsible for decision-making and behavioral flexibility. Therefore, Vance concludes that play functions as a safe laboratory where juveniles experience a temporary loss of control to prepare their brains for unexpected future challenges.
According to the passage, which of the following findings does Dr. Vance present as direct evidence to support her conclusion that play prepares animals for unexpected environmental challenges?
- AThe observation that juvenile brown bears who engaged in high levels of play achieved significantly higher hunting success rates as adults.
- BThe assertion that play serves as a safe behavioral laboratory where juveniles can experience a temporary loss of control.
- The finding that juvenile bears raised in play-deprived environments struggled to adapt to sudden changes in food availability or territory.Answer
- DThe finding that play-deprived environments stimulate the growth of neural connections responsible for motor memory.