Animal Behavior Notes Flashcards
Fixed action pattern?
behaviors that an animal does in response to a specific trigger.
Ex. of fixed action pattern?
If a duck sees an egg it will roll it into its nest and under them but even if there is an object like a ball since it looks similar to the egg, it is a trigger to roll the ball into the nest and underneath them
Sign stimulus?
is a specific trigger or cue that causes an animal to perform a fixed action pattern.
Behavioral rhythms?
patterns of behavior that occur regularly and are influenced by internal or external cues, like day and night cycles.]
Animal signals?
communication methods, like sounds, body movements, or scents, that animals use to share information with each other, such as warning of danger or attracting a mate.
Innate behavior?
behavior that’s genetically hardwired in an organism and can be performed in response to a cue without prior experience
Imprinting
animals imprint on the first moving object they see after being born, often their mother. This attachment helps them stay close to her for protection and food, ensuring their survival.
Spatial learning
Spatial learning is the process of learning and remembering the location of objects or places in the environment.
Cognitive learning?
the process where animals use thinking, memory, and problem-solving to understand and adapt to their environment.
Associative learning?
associating a behavior with a positive outcome. Ex. A dog associates the sound of dog leash with a walk
Classical conditioning?
learning by associating one thing with another, like a sound with a reaction.
Operant conditioning?
Operant conditioning is a type of learning where behavior is influenced by rewards or punishments.
Social Learning?
animals learn behaviors by observing and imitating others in their group, rather than through direct experience
Optimal Foraging?
idea that animals choose the best feeding strategies to get the most food with the least effort.
Mate choice and sexual selection?
when animals select partners based on traits they find desirable, and sexual selection is the process where those traits become more common because they increase chances of reproduction
Parental care or lack of?
how animals look after their offspring, while a lack of parental care means the parents do not invest in raising their young.
Prey selection strategies?
he ways animals choose their food based on factors like size, energy value, or ease of capture to maximize their survival and efficiency.
Altruism?
when an animal acts to help another at a cost to itself, often to increase the chances of survival for related individuals.
Reciprocal Altruism?
when an animal helps another with the expectation that the favor will be returned in the future.
Kin Selection?
where an animal helps relatives to increase the chances of passing on shared genes, even at a cost to itself.
How are pheromones used?
Used to control pest insects without large amounts of chemical pesticides.
Imprinting =
innate behavior + learning
classical vs operant conditioning?
Classical conditioning involves making an association between an involuntary response and a stimulus (Pavlov), while operant conditioning is about making an association between a voluntary behavior and a consequence (Skinner).
if the environmental conditions that drive natural selection are the same for males and females, why does the sexual dimorphism exist?
Sexual selection
What does it normally mean if a species has a large head compared to its body size?
It plays more
Proximate?
near cause of behavior
Ultimate?
Evolutionary cause of behavior
