Which scenario describes an inherited behavioral adaptation?

• A. Humans learning to use tools
• B. Wolves' pack hunting strategies encoded by instinct
• C. Fox developing a thicker coat
• D. Birds building nests

Answer: (B)

Inherited behavioral adaptations are actions animals perform because of genetic predispositions—instincts passed from generation to generation rather than learned through experience. Wolves showing pack hunting strategies described as encoded by instinct are a clear example: these cooperative behaviors arise from genetic wiring that guides how the group hunts, even without teaching each other from scratch. They’re built into the species and show up as instinctive actions.

In contrast, humans learning to use tools requires observation and practice, which is learning rather than inheritance. A thicker coat is a physical (not behavioral) adaptation, related to anatomy and physiology. Birds building nests is a behavior, and in some species nest-building is instinctual, but the phrase here emphasizes the wolves’ innate, genetically guided coordination, which makes it the best example of an inherited behavioral adaptation.