SAT OwlIn many bird species, males are more colorful than females, a pattern scientists often attribute to females choosing mates with brighter feathers. Among the shorebirds known as phalaropes, ______ females are more brightly colored than males and compete with one another for mates, while males incubate the eggs and raise the chicks.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
for example
therefore
by contrast
in addition
Show answer and explanation
Answer: C
Phalaropes reverse the usual pattern: in their case, the females are the more colorful sex. This is a contrast with the many species described in the first sentence, so "by contrast" is correct. "For example" would wrongly present phalaropes as a typical case.
"For example" is tempting because phalaropes are a specific species, but they are an exception to the pattern, not an example of it.
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