Rabbits are very popular domesticated animals, so popular that there are over 300 breeds of domesticated rabbits in the world. You attend a rabbit show and notice that all of the breeds vary in many characteristics, such as size, color, and fur length. You notice that there is weight information on the cages of all rabbit individuals at the show and decide to jot down data for two specific rabbit breeds (in pounds):
Breed A: 10, 8, 7, 10, 9, 9, 10, 9
Breed B: 10, 12, 14, 13, 10, 15, 11, 12
In three to five sentences, 1) calculate the average weights of the two rabbit breed groups, 2) describe some factors that could contribute to the different weights seen within breeds, and 3) describe how you would design and find support for an experiment to determine the growth rate of the two rabbit breeds.
1) To calculate the average weights of the two rabbit breed groups, we add up the weights of each rabbit within the breed and divide it by the total number of rabbits.
For Breed A: (10 + 8 + 7 + 10 + 9 + 9 + 10 + 9) / 8 = 9 pounds
For Breed B: (10 + 12 + 14 + 13 + 10 + 15 + 11 + 12) / 8 = 12 pounds
2) Factors that could contribute to the different weights seen within breeds include genetics, diet, exercise levels, and overall health and care of the rabbits. Each breed may have different genetic predispositions towards certain weight ranges, and individual variations within a breed can also arise due to differences in diet and exercise.
3) To determine the growth rate of the two rabbit breeds, an experiment can be designed where two groups of newborn rabbits from each breed are selected. The rabbits should be raised in separate controlled environments, receiving the same diet and appropriate care. The weights of the rabbits can be recorded at regular intervals, such as weekly or monthly, and plotted on a graph. By comparing the growth curves of the two breeds over time, we can determine and compare their growth rates. Statistical analysis can be used to find any significant differences between the two breeds' growth rates.