animal behavior exam 1 Flashcards
ethology
the study of animal behavior
phylogeny
evolutionary history via common descent
proximate analysis
analysis based on asking questions that focus on immediate causation
ultimate analysis
an analysis relating to the evolution of a trait
individual learning
relatively permanent change in behavior as a result of experience. Does not involve learning from others
cultural transmission
the transfer of information from individual to individual through teaching or social learning
social learning
learning by observing others
convergent evolution
process whereby different populations or species converge on the same phenotypic characteristics as a result of similar natural selection pressures
xenophobia
the fear of strangers or those from outside one’s group
conceptual approaches
approach that usually entails integrating ideas generated in different disciplines and combining them in a new, cohesive way
kin selection
demonstrated that natural selection not only favors behaviors that increase the reproductive success of individuals expressing that behavior but also favors behaviors that increase the reproductive success of those individuals close genetic kin
direct fitness
measured by the number of viable offspring it produces
indirect fitness
effects are measured by the increased reproductive success of individual one’s genetic relatives that are due to individual one’s behavior
inclusive fitness
a measure of fitness that takes into account not only the effect an allele has on its bearer, but also the effect it has on the reproductive success of its genetic relatives
theoretical approach
generating models, most often mathematical models, to study some phenomenon
