Animal Behavior

Question 1

behavior

Answer 1

in response to environmental stimulus
- should increase fitness

Question 2

difference between proximate and ultimate causation?

Answer 2

proximate (neurological)- what is the stimulation/cause of the animal behavior
ultimate- why does the behavior exist in the first place

Question 3

fixed vs flexible behavior

Answer 3

fixed- carried down exactly through generations
flexible-some are tweakable to benefit the organism

Question 4

innate vs learned behavior

Answer 4

innate- hard wired in DNA (yawn)
learned- no basis in genetics (speech)

Question 5

fixed action patterns (innate)

Answer 5

animals repeats the same cycle everytime
- digger wasp
- white crowned sparrow

Question 6

how do animals use behavior as a way to avoid predation?

Answer 6

anti-predator behavior:
- schooling/herding- traveling in groups to lower individual risk
- mimicry- pretending to be another organism
- crypsis- blending into the environment

Question 7

optimal foraging theory

Answer 7

how animals decide what, where, and how long of food to eat
- specialist: focuses on one kind of food
- generalist: eats everything

food intake vs predation risk in gerbils

Question 8

altruistic behavior

Answer 8

helping another organism at the cost of own fitness

Question 9

reciprocal altruism

Answer 9

mutual sharing

Question 10

kin selection/ inclusive fitness

Answer 10

used to preserve bloodline
- lives in colonies with relatives
-hamiltons rule:
1/2 alleles parents and siblings
1/4 alleles grandparents, aunt/uncles
1/8 alleles cousins