BOHA - 5

Question 1

who was the first person to observe the behaviour of animals by watching dogs and children?

Answer 1

Darwin

Question 2

what 2 things sparked darwins interest in breeding for specific traits?

Answer 2

1) different dog breeds

2) farmers choosing livestock

Question 3

what was a flaw in francis galtons hereditary genius idea (assumes intelligence is inherited)?

Answer 3

• didnt take into account that richer people could afford to send their kids to school therefore affecting their intelligence

Question 4

what is behavioural ecology and who popularised this theory?

Answer 4

focus is on the adaptive significance of behaviour and assumes a genetic basis for most behaviour - Richard dawkins - selfish gene

Question 5

what is a good way to look at nature vs nurture effects?

Answer 5

twin studies - seperated at birth and look at differences

Question 6

describe the study used to identify the direction birds migrate

Answer 6

the elmen funnel where birds feet were painted and as they tried to fly see which side of the funnel their footprints were

Question 7

what are animal model studies used for?

Answer 7

used to estimate the genetic component of phenotypic variation using data either collected in the lab or the field

Question 8

what do animal model studies provide estimates of?

Answer 8

heritability’s and genetic correlations

Question 9

what is a trait determined by genetic basis in great tits?

Answer 9

personality -boldness vs shyness

Question 10

how do you investigate if only a single gene is involved in a specific behaviour?

Answer 10

• can demonstrate with knockout experiments - inactivate the gene in lab experiments e.g. maternal gene removed in mice and doesn’t look after its pup

Question 11

what is a supergebe?

Answer 11

two of more genes always inherited together

Question 12

what are the 3 types of male Ruffs with different displaying feathers due to super genes?

Answer 12

1) independent - ancestral form with no inversion (dark plumage and territorial)
2) satellite - made by inversion 1x copy of double inversion and 1x copy of ancestral form (light plumage- not territorial)
3) faeder = 1x copy of inversion and 1x copy of ancestral form (female plumage - not territorial)

Question 13

why are ruffs interesting in animal behaviour?

Answer 13

both plumage and behavioural polymorphisms