Behaviour

Question 1

Name 4 different animal mating strategies

Answer 1

• A mate for life
• Several mates over one life time
• A mate for a breeding season
• Several mates over one mating season

Question 2

Why do animals have mating strategies?

Answer 2

• To increase chance of survival of offspring

- To increase chance of their genes being passed on to the offspring

Question 3

Define behaviour

Answer 3

The response of an organism to its environment which increases chances of survival

Question 4

What is innate behaviour?

Answer 4

It’s genetically determined - passed onto offspring (usually help with survival)

Question 5

What is learned behaviour?

Answer 5

Behaviour that changes in response to experience

Question 6

What are some characteristics of animals that have learned behaviour? Name 3

Answer 6

• Longer lifespans - need time to acquire experiences
• Require parental care and learn from them
• Live with other members of same species and learn from them

Question 7

What is imprinting?

Answer 7

Baby organism can instantly recognise the 1st face they see as the mother and will automatically follow that organism

Question 8

What is habituation?

Answer 8

Organisms learn to ignore stimuli which don’t result in harm or reward

Question 9

What is classical conditioning?

Answer 9

Animals learn to relate a pair of events and respond to the first in anticipation of the second
i.e. natural reflex becomes associated with stimulus

Question 10

What is operant conditioning?

Answer 10

When animal learns to carry out specific learned behaviour as it leads to a reward
OR doesn’t carry out specific behaviour as it leads to punishment

Question 11

Give an example of habituation

Answer 11

Many animals learnt to ignore movement and noise of wind and ocean

Question 12

Give an example of imprinting

Answer 12

Birds learn who their mother is, as she’s the first they see after hatching

Question 13

Give an example of classical conditioning

Answer 13

Pavlov (Russian scientist) trained dogs to salivate when they heard a bell

Question 14

Name 2 human use of animal behaviour (via operant conditioning)

Answer 14

• Sniffer dogs

- Police horses

Question 15

Name 3 types of animal communication

Answer 15

1. Visual
2. Sound
3. Chemical

Question 16

Many of visual signals can be read by ____ species

Answer 16

more than one

Question 17

What might visual signals be linked to?

Answer 17

Selecting a mate, reproduction and raising offspring

Question 18

Give an example of visual signal

Answer 18

Coral snakes use bright colours to warn its poisonous

Question 19

What are sound signals used for? (name 3)

Answer 19

• Communication
• Marking territories
• Finding possible mates & warn off rivals

Question 20

Give an example of sound signal

Answer 20

Wolves howl = maintains contact between pack members and defends their territory

Question 21

What are chemical signals used for? (name 3)

Answer 21

• Attracting a mate
• Communication
• Protection

Question 22

Give an example of chemical signal

Answer 22

In social insects (e.g. bees and ants) = used to communicate everything (e.g. where to find food)

Question 23

When are police horses used? (name 2 scenarios)

Answer 23

1. Used in large public gatherings

2. Used when searching for people in difficult, inaccessible terrain

Question 24

Why are police horses used in large public gatherings? (name 2 reasons)

Answer 24

1. Allow police to move through a crowed = people will give way to horses more easily than to someone on foot
2. Allow police to see what’s happening

Question 25

Police horses are conditioned to do what?

Answer 25

To cope calmly with large crowds, lots of noise, etc

Question 26

Why might parental behaviour be risky for parents?

Answer 26

Takes up time and resources = makes them vulnerable to

starvation and predators