Which of the Following is NOT True of Optimal Foraging

Question

Which of the following is NOT true of optimal foraging theory (OFT)?
A) It assumes that natural selection has favored feeding behaviors that maximize fitness.
B) It assumes that animals are optimal while feeding.
C) Many OFT models assume fitness is a positive function of energy intake rate.
D) The behavior predicted by OFT models is called the optimal behavior.
E) One example of an OFT model is the marginal value theorem.

Accepted Answer

Optimal Foraging Theory (OFT) does not assume that animals are always optimal while feeding; rather, it predicts that animals will behave in ways that are optimal given the constraints of their environment. The theory suggests that animals will evolve to maximize their net energy intake per unit of time spent foraging, but it recognizes that animals may not always achieve this optimal behavior due to various constraints and lack of perfect information.