Behavior II Flashcards
behavioral ecologists use what to study foraging?
cost-benefit analysis
foraging includes
identifying, obtaining, and eating food
define a search image
a mental picture of the desired food
what enables an animal to find particular foods efficiently?
a search image
the optimal foraging model predicts…
the feeding behavior that will maximize energy gain and minimize energy expenditure and risk
the optimal foraging models observes what 3 objectives?
- handling time
- calories
- predict size of the most consumed insect
what other costs can be included in the optimal foraging model?
- exposure
- risk
- organisms’ predation
- lost reproduction
what is an essential element of interactions between animals?
communication
define a signal according to behavioral ecology
a stimulus transmitted by one animal to another
communication signals can be:
- visual
- olfactory
- physical
- auditory
what enhances reproductive success?
mating systems and parental care
mating systems can be…
- promiscuous
- monogamous
- polygamous
promiscuous systems have
strong pair-bonds or lasting relationships
monogamous systems have..
one male and one female that shared potential care
polygamous systems have…
the individual of one sex mating with several others
what explains the differences in mating systems and parental care by males?
the needs of offspring and certainty of paternity
what influences behavior?
chemical pollutants
define endocrine disruptors
a diverse group of substances that affect the vertebrate endocrine system
how do endocrine disruptors affect the vertebrate endocrine system?
by mimicking a hormone or enhancing/inhibiting hormone activity
how do endocrine disruptors enter ecosystems?
discharge from paper, lumbar mills, agriculture, factory wastes
endocrine disruptors have been linked to
- fish that lack territorial defense
- salamanders that ignore mating cues
- birds with sloppy nest building techniques
- mice that take unexplainable risks
define social behavior
any kind of interaction between 2 or more animals
sociobiology is the study of
how social behaviors are adaptive and how they could have evolved by natural selection
social behavior is reliant upon
communication
define a territory
a fixed location that individuals defend from other members of the same species
territories are usually used for
feeding, mating, and rearing young
conflicts that arise over limited resources are settled by
agonistic behavior
agonistic behavior consists of
threats, rituals, and combat
agonistic behavior determines..
which organism gains access to a resource and its evolutionary fitness
define dominance hierarchy
the ranking of individuals based on social interaction
examples of dominance hierarchy include…
- pecking order in chickens
- hierarchies in female wolves
define altruism
a behavior that reduces an individual’s fitness while increasing the fitness of others
J. B. S. Haldane announced that he was prepares to
lay down his life for 8 cousins and 2 bothers
what concept describes an individual’s success at perpetuating its genes?
inclusive fitness
define kin selection
natural selection favoring altruistic behavior that benefits relatives
what study provided empirical support for kin selection?
Belding’s ground squirrels
define eusociality
the highest level of organization of sociality
what characteristics define eusociality?
- cooperative brood care
- overlapping generations within a colony of adults
- division of reproductive and non-reproductive groups
