▶ Your Answer : In the reading passage, there is ample support for the author's claim that the function of deer's antler determined. However, the professor in the lecture gives several reasons as a rebuttal to the author's points. First, the professor contends that the antler did not existed for attracting mates. To explain, deers had various use of different methods such as vocalization, body postures. Furthermore, in deer's world, the male deer's small antler is important point of mate. In other words, the antler was not for the mating. This casts doubt for the author's claim that the antler existed for the competition for mates. Next, the proessor insists that the antler was not used for marking territory that they control. In fact, deers make sure of their territory by using their scents, not their antlers. THey use their special secretion which is easily detective by other males. In addition, they rubb their antlers to fall off thier soft outer skin. This counters the author's assertion that deer's antler was rubbed for marking their territory. Finally, the professor argues that the antler was not used for deer's defense. This is because the antler was shed in winter when deers become weaker and they need more protection. Plus, deers were grown by female, not by male. The female deers don't have antlers. This means that the antlers of male deers do not need to protect their offsprings. This refutes the author's suggestion that the antlers were used to defend from their predators such as wolves. |