On Pacific islands, a newly arrived gecko species, the house

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I picked D, but I actually think C is pretty good. If the geckos are being brought into ports, which tend to be in cities, that might explain why there are more of them in cities.

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D sounds like it explains the discrepancy.

I would be glad if someone could help me to clarify mistakes on my thoughts.





House gecko: replacing mourning gecko in Urban Areas
But stable in rural
Note: House gecko doesn’t attack mourning gecko but it doesn’t let mourning gecko to eat insects.

It means:
House gecko is stronger
They both eat insects and somehow house gecko wins.



This could be an answer?
It means, urban areas have more insects , and house gecko is stronger so it doesn’t let eat mourning gecko to eat these insects and hence mourning population is being replaced.
So A could be answer

Geckos defend their territories and housing geckos are stronger. But it doesn’t explain about concept of eating insects and why housing gecko prevents mourning geckos

It doesn’t explain any relation with insects and why housing gecko prevents mourning geckos

The lighted buildings could be in urban and rural. There could be less lighted buildings or less storey buildings in rural and more lighted buildings and high storey buildings in urban, so relatively concept is same and it doesn’t differentiate specifically why housing gecko prevents mourning geckos

It is difficult to make an assumption that how females reproduce has any effect on their competition of eating insects. It maybe possible that after reproducing asexually, mourning geckos become weak in preying insects? But still It doesn’t explain why housing gecko prevents mourning geckos.

Please check why A can't be an answer. Why D is answer ( see my explanation). AM i right in rejecting B,C ?
please suggest VeritasKarishma

Two gecko species - house gecko and mourning gecko

Urban areas - House gecko displacing mourning gecko
Rural areas (far from humans) - Both species stable

In areas where insects congregate house gecko prevents the mourning gecko from feeding on them.

We know something abt the diff between the two - where insects congregate, house geckos prevail.
So now we need an explanation about why house geckos prevail in urban areas but not in rural. Do insects congregate in urban areas? Why?

A. In urban areas, geckos are valued because they eat so many insects.

Geckos (all types) are valued because they eat insects. So apparently, humans do not threaten geckos. Why is there is diff in the population of the two species of geckos? Doesn't say.

B. Geckos defend territories against other members of the same species.

Tells you that they defend territories against members of SAME species. We don't know why house gecko is replacing mourning gecko in urban but not in rural.

C. House geckos that arrive on islands are carried there in boats and planes.

Doesn't matter how they came to the island. We need an explanation on why one is replacing the other in urban areas but to in rural areas.

D. places where there are lighted buildings, insects tend to gather around the light.

Correct. Urban areas have lighted buildings so insects will congregate there. Then house geckos will prevail and mourning geckos will not get food. Rural areas (far away from humans) will not have lighted buildings and hence no congregation of insects. Hence both will survive. This explains the difference.

E. Mourning geckos are all females and reproduce asexually, but house geckos reproduce sexually.

Doesn't explain the difference between urban and rural settings.

Answer (D)
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is it alright to bring in the assumption that urban areas are more lit than rural ones? or this question is an exception? Thanks

The stem specifically talks about rural areas "far from human settlement", and it's safe to infer from that phrase that there aren't many buildings with lights in those areas.
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Thanks a lot. I had missed that. Imp reaffirmation for me - every word counts and is there for a reason

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