In a study of the tool-using behavior of the New Caledonian crow (*Corvus moneduloides*), biologist Dr. Sophia Patel observed how these birds manufacture hook tools from the twigs of the *Meryta sinclairii* tree. Patel's research team recorded that while the crows utilized various plant species for basic probing, they exclusively selected *Meryta sinclairii* twigs when creating tools with curved, functional hooks. The researchers noted that the pliable bark of this specific tree allows the crows to shape the hooks without snapping the wood, a task that proved unsuccessful with stiffer twigs from other local plants.
According to the text, why do New Caledonian crows choose twigs from the *Meryta sinclairii* tree to make hook tools?
- AThe crows select this tree because its twigs naturally grow in the shape of hooks.
- The flexible bark of the tree allows the crows to shape the hooks without breaking the wood.Answer
- CThe crows require the stiffness of the tree's wood to successfully perform basic probing.
- DThe tree is the only plant species in the crows' habitat that attracts the insects they hunt.
Answer
The flexible bark of the tree allows the crows to shape the hooks without breaking the wood.
The correct answer is directly supported by the passage, which states that the 'pliable bark' of the *Meryta sinclairii* tree allows the crows to 'shape the hooks without snapping the wood.' This matches the meaning of the correct option, which states that the flexible bark allows the crows to shape the tools without breaking the wood.
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Identifying explicitly stated details in a text.
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