Behavioral Biology Flashcards
the way an animal responds to stimulus in its environment is known as what?
behavior
what are the two components of behavior?
immediate cause and evolutionary origin
What are the two behavior approaches?
describe them
Proximate Causation:
- “how” of behavior
- measure (hormone level, impulse of nerve signal)
Ultimate causation:
- “Why” of behavior
- how behavior influences reproductive success
Innate behavior is instinctive. Give examples of instinctive behaviors
- does not require learning
- preset path in nervous system
- genetic
ie: goose replacing an egg from her nest - male stickleback fish will attack anything with a red underside because it things it’s a competitor
egg retrieval behavior is triggered by a_________stimulus
sign
-not very specific; anything around will trigger the goose’s reaction
behavioral differences among individuals often result from ________
genetic differences
True or False:
behaviors can be bred into/out of animals
true
True or False:
identical twins raised separately exhibit different behaviors
false
genetics play a role in determining behavior in humans. the twins were found to have similar personalities, temperament, and leisure time activities
What does the following definition describe?:
- Association between two stimuli or between a stimulus and a response
- Conditioned behavior though association
associative learning
What are the two types of associative learning?
Classical condition
Operant conditioning
Describe Classical Conditioning
the paired presentation of two different kinds of stimuli with an association formed between them
ie: Pavlonian conditioning
Describe Operant Conditioning
Animal associates behavior with a reward or punishment
-trial and error learning
_____ guides learning
instinct
- learning is only possible when boundaries are set by genetics
- adaption by learning is important to survival
Clark’s nutcracker can remember the location of up to 2000 seed caches months after hiding them. What does it use to remember this?
spatial memory
What is imprinting?
social attachment to other individuals; develop preferences that will influence behavior later in life
What is filial imprinting?
attachment between parents and offspring
True or false:
Instinct and Learning interact as behavior develops
true
white-crowned sparrow
slide 18
Give 2 examples of how animals show cognitive behavior
- chimps pull the leaves of off a tree branch to use it as a tool for picking termites
- some birds learn to take off milk caps from bottles
What is migration?
populations moving large distances
the ability to set or adjust bearing is known as what?
navigation
what two things to animals use to navigate for migration?
sun and stars; Earth’s magnetic fields
What does this definition describe:
Behavior of one individual releases a behavior by another individual
Stimulus-response chain
What are three examples of long distance communication?
Pheromones (sex attraction; chemical messages) Acoustic signals (vocal calls, wing clicking) Light Signals (firefly)
Give two examples of how communication can facilitate group living
- guard sets off an alarm call so group can seek shelter
- social insects produce pheromones that trigger attack or foraging behaviors
______ communicate identity of specific predators; _________ and ________ are able to recognize symbols and use them to communicate abstract concepts
primates;chimpanzees;gorillas
monkeys pretty much
Throughout all the human languages, about how many consonant sounds are there?
40
What is behavioral ecology?
the study of how natural selection shapes behavior
the evolution of behavior
Adaptive Significance: How is behavior adaptive?
enhance energy intake, increase mating success, decrease predation
What is the Optimal foraging theory?
natural selection favors individuals whose foraging behavior is energetically efficient
What are pros and cons of animal territorial behavior?
pros:
secures resources, increased food intake, increased mates, exclusive access to females
cons:
must defend against intrusion by other individuals which can be energetically costly (ie: birds sing to signal it’s their territory)
How many mates to have, How much time devoted to rearing offspring, and how much energy to devote to rearing offspring are all _________ strategies
reproductive
What is parental investment?
contributions each sex makes in producing and rearing offspring
Do females or males have a higher investment in their offspring?
Females
-eggs are larger than sperm and more expensive to make, females are responsible for gestation, lactation, and/or yolk
Are males or females more selective when it comes to mating?
What is this known as?
Females usually are more selective
Sexual selection
What does sexual dimorphism mean?
males look different from the females
Do females typically mate with the first male they encounter?
no
What is a species where the males are more selective of their females?
Mormon crickets
What are two things that a male partner might do?
- help raise offspring
- provide resources (territories, nesting sites, food, predator refuges)
Mating outside monogamous pair is known as what?
social monogamy
What is altruism?
the performance of an action that benefit another individual at a cost to the actor
What is reciprocal altruism?
Give an example of an animal that does this
partnerships in which mutual exchanges of altruistic acts occur because they benefit both participants
ie: vampire bats share blood meals
What happens in a eusocial society?
workers give up their own reproduction to assist their mother in rearing their sisters
What is a society?
a group of organisms of the same species that are organized in a cooperative manner
What are the advantages of social systems?
kin selection, greater production from predators, increase feeding and mating success
groups of individuals that differ in size and morphology and perform different tasks are known as being part of a what?
caste
