Animal Behavior

Question 1

Animal’s behavior

Answer 1

what it does and how it does it, usually in response to the environment

Question 2

Behavioral ecology-

Answer 2

study of behavior in natural environments

Question 3

Cost-benefit analysis-

Answer 3

every behavior involves benefits and costs. If benefits outweigh the costs, the behavior is adapted. Benefits- contribute to direct fitness or reproductive success. Costs- possible death

Question 4

Innate behavior-

Answer 4

genetically programmed

Question 5

Learned behavior-

Answer 5

modified in response to environmental experiences; Behavior begins with an inherited basis that can change based on experiences. Behavior depends on physiological readiness

Question 6

Behavior patterns depend on …

Answer 6

motor programs.

Question 7

Ex- Fixed action pattern (FAP)-

Answer 7

innate behavior that follows the same pattern. Can be elicited by a sign stimulus, or releaser-simple signal that triggers the behavior

Question 8

Habituation-

Answer 8

type of learning in which an organism learns to ignore a repeated irrelevant stimulus

Question 9

Imprinting-

Answer 9

social learning based on experience; Occurs during critical period (few hours or days after birth)

Question 10

Classical conditioning-

Answer 10

association is formed between body function and stimulus

Question 11

Operant conditioning

Answer 11

(trial and error learning)- animal must do something to get reward or avoid punishment (positive/negative reinforcement)

Question 12

Insight learning-

Answer 12

when an animal is exposed to a new situation and is able to adapt past experiences to solve new problem

Question 13

Play

Answer 13

may be an example of conditioning- can improve their ability to escape, kill prey, or perform sexual behavior

Question 14

Biological Rhythms

Answer 14

Behavior is organized around circadian rhythms; Metabolic processes and behaviors are synchronized with cyclic changes in external environment; Many biological rhythms are regulated by internal biological clock- in mammals- located in the hypothalamus

Question 15

diurnal v nocturnal

Answer 15

Diurnal animals are active during the day; nocturnal at night

Question 16

Migration-

Answer 16

long-distance travel from one location to another
Usually in response to changes in season
Most use directional orientation-

Question 17

directional orientation-

Answer 17

use the sun as a sense of

direction to orient themselves

Question 18

Taxis

Answer 18

directed movement in response to a stimulus

Question 19

Kinesis-

Answer 19

undirected change in speed of animal’s movement in response to a stimulus- speeds up in unfavorable environments

Question 20

Foraging-

Answer 20

feeding behavior- involves locating and selecting food as well as gathering food and food capture. Herds, flocks, schools, etc provide concealment, easier to detect predators, greater defense from predators. Packs enable members to corner and successfully attack large prey

Question 21

Communication-

Answer 21

one animal performs an act that changes the behavior of another

Question 22

Pheromones

Answer 22

chemical signals secreted into the environment that convey information between members of a species

Question 23

Visual communication

Answer 23

observed during aggression or courtship

Question 24

Auditory- communication

Answer 24

sounds can be used to communicate over long distances

Question 25

tactile communication

Answer 25

useful in social bonding, infant care, grooming, and mating

Question 26

Social behavior-

Answer 26

interaction of two or more animals

Question 27

Agonistic behavior

Answer 27

(aggression and submission)- originates from competition for food, mates, or territory

Question 28

Dominance hierarchies-

Answer 28

indicates power and status relationships between individuals of a group; Some individuals are subordinate to others- can move up the social ladder

Question 29

pecking order

Answer 29

status used to describe dominance hierarchy in chickens (higher=pecking first at food)

Question 30

Territoriality-

Answer 30

possession and defense of the territory in which an animal lives

Question 31

Altruistic behavior-

Answer 31

an individual behaves in a way that seems to benefit others rather than itself. Altruistic behavior increases inclusive fitness, the fitness of the individual + the fitness of relatives
fitness= ability to survive and reproduce

Question 32

Kin selection-

Answer 32

form of natural selection that increases inclusive fitness through the breeding success of close relatives