What critical risk profile is associated with the Woolly Bear's Freeze Tolerance strategy?
Answer
Risk of insufficient chemical preparation before the first hard freeze.
The Woolly Bear's strategy of Freeze Tolerance depends entirely on having synthesized adequate amounts of cryoprotectants (glucose and glycerol) before the onset of lethal cold. If environmental cues related to cooling are delayed, causing the caterpillar to continue feeding longer, it might be caught unprepared by an unseasonable, sudden deep freeze. This failure to synthesize the necessary chemical stabilizers in time represents the primary survival risk inherent to this high-cost, highly effective evolutionary adaptation.
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