Animal Behavior Flashcards

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1
Q

What is a behavior?

A

Anything an animal does and how it does it. They are a result of genetic and environmental factors, essential for survival reproduction and are subject to natural selection.

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2
Q

What is the study of behaviors?

A

Ethology

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3
Q

What are the two fundamental levels of ethology?

A
  1. Proximate

2. Ultimate

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4
Q

What are proximate causes of behavior and what do they include?

A

Proximate causes of behavior explain “how” behaviors have developed. This includes:

  1. Heredity
  2. Genetic-environmental interactions
  3. Sensory motor mechanisms
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5
Q

What are ultimate causes of behavior and what do they include?

A

Ultimate causes of behavior explain “why” behaviors have developed. This includes:

  1. The origin of a behavior
  2. How it was changed over time
  3. How it increases reproductive success
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6
Q

What are innate behaviors?

A

Instinctive behaviors that

  • Are inherited
  • Increase fitness
  • Found in all members of a population
  • Are developmentally fixed
  • And are unlearned
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7
Q

What is a fixed action pattern and important aspect of them?

A

A fixed action pattern (FAP) is an instinctive behavioral sequence that is indivisible and runs to completion. Fixed action patterns are largely ___ and are triggered by a stimulus.

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8
Q

What are signals? Give examples.

A

A signal is a behavior that causes a change in the behavior of another individual and is the basis for animal communication.

Examples: Pheromones (chemicals), Visual (display/action), Auditory (sound)

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9
Q

What are pheromones?

A

Chemical signals that are emitted and act on members of the same species

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10
Q

What are visual signals?

A

Displays/actions that may act on the same or difference species. These behaviors can be directed by genes. For example, a single gene appears to control the courtship ritual in fruit flies.

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11
Q

What are auditory signals?

A

Sounds that may act on the same or different species

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12
Q

What is learning?

A

The modification of behavior based on specific experiences

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13
Q

What is imprinting?

A

A sensitive period of development that combines learned and innate behaviors

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14
Q

What is associative learning? Give examples.

A

Associative learning is learning that involves the association of an environmental factor with another feature. Examples are classical conditioning and operant conditioning.

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15
Q

What is classical conditioning?

A

Associating two things, one of which has a natural response, in order for the other thing to provoke the same response. For example, Pavlov’s dog would salivate in the face of food, but not at the blow of a whistle before conditioning. Then, Pavlov would blow the whistle before giving the dog food. After condition, the blow of whistle would trigger salivation of the dog.

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16
Q

What is operant conditioning?

A

Certain behaviors elicit a reward or punishment

17
Q

What is foraging behavior?

A

Foraging behavior deals with food. This includes eating and the methods used to search for, recognize, and capture food.

18
Q

What is the optimal foraging model?

A

A proposal of compromise between the benefits of nutrition and the cost of obtaining food. For example, when a leopard pursues an elk, it takes a lot of energy, but more energy may be gained if the leopard eats the entire elk.

19
Q

What are three mating systems discussed in class?

A

Promiscuous, Monogamous, and Polygamous

20
Q

What is the promiscuous mating system?

A

Mates have no strong pair bonds

21
Q

What is the monogamous mating system?

A

One very strong bond between one male and female

22
Q

What is the polygamous mating system?

A

One individual mating with several others

23
Q

Often, what are antagonist behaviors?

A

Antagonistic behaviors are often ritualized contests that determine which competitor gains access to food and/or mates.

24
Q

What is inclusive fitness?

A

The total effect an individual has on its own, and its relatives’, reproductive success

25
Q

When does altruism occur?

A

When animals behave in ways that reduce their own individual fitness but increase the fitness of others. Ex. Prairie dog altering others of danger

26
Q

What is kin selection?

A

The type of natural selection that favors altruistic behaviors that enhance the overall reproductive success of the population