Animal Behaviour: Module 4 Flashcards
what is individual behaviour
an action carried our by muscles under the control of the CNS in response to stimulus
what are fixed action patterns?
a sequence of unlearned acts directly linked to a simple stimulus, it is unchangeable, once initiated it is carried to completion, the trigger for this behaviour is an external cue called a sign stimulus
what do environmental stimuli do for behaviour?
-trigger behaviours
-provides cues and clues animals use to carry out those behaviours
-ex. migration
define migration
a regular, usually seasonal, change in location
describe migration behaviour.
-not directly elicited by spatial variation in food availibility
-an adaptation
-yields long term benefits
-involved selection operating, or large spatial and temporal scales (ex. using the sun to track their position, circadian clock, magnetic field, etc)
how do migrating animals use an internal circadian clock to their benefit?
-some migratory animals track their positions relative to the sun (and the sun’s position is relative to the earth changes throughout the day- which causes a hurdle for them)
-adjust for these changes by means of an internal circadian clock that maintains a 24 hour activity rhythm
what is a cue for migratory animals that is available day or night, regardless of weather?
earth magnetic field
define what a circadian clock and cirannual rhythm is, and how they differ.
circadian clock: internal mechanism that maintains a 24 hours activity rhythm/cycle
curannual rhythm: behavioural rhythms linked to the yearly cycle of seasons, and influenced by periods of daylight and darkness in environment
why would migration involving voyages over shorter terms and shorter spatial scales be beneficial for some animals, and why would they do it?
-done by lots of aquatic animals at night
-this movement consumes lots of energy
-swim up to food rich surface waters at night to feed, when it’s dark, since they would be hidden from predators that rely on light to sense their prey
-return to the depth before the sun rises
why would animals that migrate to the waters surface to consume food live in deep waters (at the bottom), if their food source is at the top?
the colder, oxygen rich water at depth may be more conducive to growing larger or producing more eggs
behaviour helps animals ___________ interactions between individuals of the ___________ species and __________ species
mediate, same, different
courtship often involved complex sequences of ___________ that communicate critical information between courting males and females
behaviour
define communication
one individual producing a signal or producing some kind of signal that travels through a medium, to be recieved by a recipient individual
what are the four common modes of animal communication
visual, chemical, tactile, auditory
what is a stimulus response chain, and give an example of what type of organism displays this.
-each stimulus is itself the stimulus for the next behaviour
-fruit flies
what is chemical communication?
transmission and reception of signals in the form of specific molecules, and is closely related to an animals lifestyle and environment
why would auditory communication be helpful in deep waters?
sound is transmitted through water easily
how is short to long range communication is mediated in many mammals and insects?
pheromones
describe pheromones
-specific secreted substances that bind to a specific receptor in the recieving individual and trigger a specific response.
-seen in gypsy moths, where the females release a volatile pheromone for the males to find them
how can pheromones be used with gypsy moth infestations?
-could make traps baited with pheromones
-if it has enough, it makes it impossible for males to find females
-making them unable to mate
what is an example of chemical communication?
pollinating animals visiting plants
what is the effectiveness of a signal effected by?
the medium it has to travel through (ex. air or water_
a rapid change in _________ can render a signal totally useless
medium
what does turbidity mean
cloudiness