SAT Reading: Command of Evidence in Avian Acoustic Ecology

An ecologist mapping avian vocalizations within populated territories propounded that northern cardinals reshape their vocal repertoires amidst low-register auditory rumbles. Dr. Elena Rostova envisioned that these songbirds elevate their lowest notes to evade acoustic masking arising via mechanical hums. Crucially, Rostova further affirmed that this tonal modulation incurs a physiological toll: sustaining higher registers demands heightened bodily exertion, rendering trill sequences noticeably abbreviated relative to vocalizations captured within undisturbed reserves. To discern the soundness of this notion, Rostova monitored cardinal populations throughout various auditory gradients, quantifying tonal ranges, exertion indicators, and trill lengths.