Define altricial offspring and contrast with precocial.

• A. Altricial young are born helpless and require care and feeding; precocial young are relatively mature and mobile at birth.
• B. Altricial young are born mature and mobile.
• C. Altricial young are born independent.
• D. Altricial describes a nocturnal foraging pattern.

Answer: (A)

This question focuses on the developmental status of offspring at birth and how much care they need. Altricial offspring are born in a helpless state: usually blind, featherless or naked, and unable to move or feed themselves. They depend on parental warmth, protection, and frequent feeding for a period after birth. Precocial offspring, by contrast, are born relatively mature and mobile. They can stand or move soon after birth and often can feed themselves with little delay, though they may still receive parental care.

Examples help connect the idea: many songbird chicks are altricial, hatching blind and helpless and requiring extensive parental care. In contrast, ducklings or chicks of some farm birds are precocial and can run, swim, or peck for food shortly after hatching. In mammals, kittens and puppies are typical altricial young, whereas foals and calves are precocial, able to stand and move shortly after birth.

So the correct description emphasizes being born helpless and dependent versus being born relatively mature and capable of independent activity.