A researcher conducts an experiment in which she exposes individuals to one of three treatments that manipulate nutritional status of an individual. Individuals are fed diets that differ in calories (low-, medium-, and high-calorie diets), and the size of territories defended by individuals is recorded. Which of the following statements about this work is correct?
A) Nutritional status is a derived trait B) Nutritional status is the dependent variable C) Nutritional status is the independent variable D) Territory size is a derived trait E) Territory size is a proximate trait