Question

A scientist is designing an investigation to study the impact of UV radiation present in high-altitude habitats on the population of mountain yellow-legged frog. What type population is most likely to be a control group for the study?

Mountain frogs in low-altitude habitats only
Mountain frogs in their natural high-altitude habitat
Mountain frogs in a lab setting exposed to UV rays from a sun lamp
Mountain frogs in a lab setting with no UV ray exposure

Answer 1

The correct answer is the mountain frogs in a lab setting with no UV rays exposure.

The frog populations, which do not acquire the ultraviolet radiation would function as a good control group. In this case, as the influence of the radiation is the variable under examination, thus, a group that acquires no radiation would exhibit no variation, and thus, would function as a control group that could be compared against the frogs, which do receive the radiation.