Biostatistics Mini-project 5

Your solution should be written up as a report (an essay). You should write as though you were writing a methods and results section for a paper you would submit. Rephrase the question posed, write a brief summary of your results making clear what test you used (including degrees of freedom and other relevant parameters) and whether the test was one or two-sided, if appropriate. Graphics can be very useful and can make your point for you better than words do. Include them when appropriate. Your write-ups should be kept short. You should NOT do every test you know to do with these data and then discuss all possible outcomes. You SHOULD pick an appropriate test, conduct it, and report the results of it. NEVER, NEVER include raw Minitab (or other software) output. When appropriate, you can format your own table and include the relevant parts of the Minitab output. You should also comment on the experimental design and how it impacts your conclusions. If the data are observational, then there may be numerous factors impacting the significance of the test (or the lack of significance) and the results may not be due to the factor that is distinguishing the groups but by some uncontrolled factor. True experiments also differ in the quality of their design for controlling for miscellaneous factors. Mention any problems with the design you notice.

The grading rubric for these assigments can be found through the following link: Grading Rubric for Homeworks and Projects

Problem: Determine the effect of female promiscuity and mating system on brain size, doing the best you can to control for lack of independence due to shared evolutionary history. The data come from Scott Pitnick, Kate E. Jones, and Gerald S. Wilkinson. Mating System and Brain Size in Bats. Proceedings: Biological Sciences 273:719-724. 

Family	MSW	Binomial	Total_Brain_Mass_(mg)	Body_Mass_1_(g)	Female_Promiscuity	Mating_System
Emballonuridae	Taphozous	mauritianus	551.0	29.0	No	monogamy
Emballonuridae	Saccopteryx	leptura	161.0	5.1	No	monogamy
Megadermatidae	Cardioderma	cor	670.0	26.0	No	monogamy
Megadermatidae	Lavia	frons	644.0	23.4	No	monogamy
Nycteridae	Nycteris	arge	347.0	10.6	No	monogamy
Nycteridae	Nycteris	hispida	284.0	7.8	No	monogamy
Nycteridae	Nycteris	nana	238.0	6.9	No	monogamy
Phyllostomidae	Vampyrum	spectrum	2587.0	173.0	No	monogamy
Pteropodidae	Pteropus	samoensis	5792.0	310.0	No	monogamy
Rhinolophidae	Hipposideros	galeritus	278.0	10.4	No	monogamy
Rhinolophidae	Rhinolophus	luctus	621.0	32.8	No	monogamy
Vespertilionidae	Kerivoula	papillosa	310.0	10.1	No	monogamy
Emballonuridae	Coleura	afra	257.0	11.5	No	polygyny
Emballonuridae	Rhynchonycteris	naso	118.0	3.8	No	polygyny
Emballonuridae	Saccopteryx	bilineata	228.0	7.8	No	polygyny
Molossidae	Chaerephon	pumila	278.5	13.0	No	polygyny
Molossidae	Otomops	martiensseni	756.0	41.5	No	polygyny
Noctilionidae	Noctilio	leporinus	1183.0	58.0	No	polygyny
Phyllostomidae	Carollia	perspicillata	546.0	17.8	No	polygyny
Phyllostomidae	Desmodus	rotundus	999.0	36.3	No	polygyny
Phyllostomidae	Phyllostomus	discolor	1090.0	36.6	No	polygyny
Phyllostomidae	Phyllostomus	hastatus	1517.0	90.1	No	polygyny
Vespertilionidae	Miniopterus	australis	204.0	7.1	No	polygyny
Vespertilionidae	Myotis	bocagei	190.0	7.0	No	polygyny
Vespertilionidae	Myotis	nigricans	146.0	5.6	No	polygyny
Pteropodidae	Cynopterus	sphinx	1061.0	42.4	Yes	polygynandry
Pteropodidae	Pteropus	alecto	7039.0	595.0	Yes	polygynandry
Pteropodidae	Pteropus	poliocephalus	7230.0	695.0	Yes	polygynandry
Pteropodidae	Pteropus	scapulatus	5360.0	375.0	Yes	polygynandry
Pteropodidae	Pteropus	vampyrus	9121.0	1014.0	Yes	polygynandry
Vespertilionidae	Myotis	adversus	254.0	11.2	Yes	polygynandry
Vespertilionidae	Myotis	albescens	126.0	4.0	Yes	polygynandry
Vespertilionidae	Myotis	lucifugus	169.0	7.9	Yes	polygynandry
Vespertilionidae	Myotis	myotis	485.0	25.6	Yes	polygynandry
Vespertilionidae	Nyctalus	noctula	364.0	27.0	Yes	polygynandry
Vespertilionidae	Pipistrellus	nanus	100.0	3.9	Yes	polygynandry
Vespertilionidae	Plecotus	auritus	238.0	6.6	Yes	polygynandry
Vespertilionidae	Tylonycteris	pachypus	80.0	4.8	Yes	polygynandry
Vespertilionidae	Tylonycteris	robustula	115.0	7.2	Yes	polygynandry