Before going to a discussion of the answer choices we must distinguish the words "in the wild" (lines 6 and 20) from the alternative. We will call the alternative "in the deep." When "in the wild" the seal is seeking prey and is usually gone for no more than 20 minutes. When the seal is "in the deep" the seal can be gone for more than 70 minutes and is 500 meters deep. In this condition the seal may switch to an anaerobic metabolism and is evading predators or exploring distant routes. When the seal switches to an anaerobic metabolism the amounts of lactic acid increase.
Compare And Contrast The Answer Choices:
(A) No basis. There is no discussion of behavior in the wild being verified by laboratory studies.
(B) No basis. This choice talks about the difficulty of observation. The passage doesn't say or imply anything about the difficulty of observing behavior either in the wild or in the laboratory.
(C) Opposite. The seal searches for prey "in the wild" where the seal does not switch to an anaerobic metabolism and produces no lactic acid. The seal evades predators "in the deep" where switching to an anaerobic metabolism results in the production of lactic acid.
(D) Opposite. Oxygen deprivation occurs "in the deep" where switching to an anaerobic metabolism produces lactic acid.
(E) Take it. It is the only choice where there is a basis for a generalization. In the case of the seal, laboratory behavior is different from behavior in the wild. Hence,
"The physiological behavior of animals in a laboratory setting is not always consistent with their physiological behavior in the wild."