Chapter 32 - Animal Behaviour Flashcards
What is a behaviour?
A response from the nervous system, reacting to stimulus
What system carries out the nervous system’s response to stimulus?
The muscular or hormonal systems
What are some things behaviour can help an animal with?
Obtaining food
Finding a sex partner
Maintaining homeostasis
What is behaviour influenced by?
Natural selection
Define: Ethology
The study of animal behavior, mainly in natural environments
Define: Behavioral ecology
The study of the ecologiacl and evolutionary basis for animal behavior
What two things does proximate causation focus on?
What is the environmental simuli triggering a behaviour
What genetic, physiological, and anatomical mechanisms behind a behaviour
What does ultimate causation focus on?
The evolutionary significance of a behaviour
Define: Fixed action pattern
A series of unchangeable behaviours that are unlearned and innate
What happens once fixed action plans are initiated?
They are carried to completion
What causes the innitiation of a fixed action pattern?
An external cue known as a sign stimulus
What is migration?
A regular long distance location change
What three ways can animals orient themselves?
Position of sun and their circadian clock
The position of the North Star
Earth’s magnetic field
Define: Circadian clock
An internal 24 hour clock in animals that is an integral part of their nervous system
What are behaviours such as migration and reproduction linked to?
Changing seasons or a circannual rhythm
What is a circannual rhythm?
A daily cycle of rest and activity
What other cycle are behaviours linked to?
Lunar cycle (moon)
Define: SIgnal
A behaviour that causes a change in another animal’s behaviour
Define: Communication
The transmission and reception of signals
How do animals communicate? (4)
Visual, chemical, tactile, and auditory signals
The type of signal is closely related to …
Lifestyle and environment
What do bees round dances signal?
Food close by
What do bees waggle dance signal
Food far away
Look at coding directions for waggle dance
Seriously. Look at them.
What kind of chemical substances do many animals use to communicate?
Pheromones
Pheromones are effective at …
very low concentrations
Define: Innate Behaviour
Behaviour which is fixed developmentally and is strongly influenced by genetics.
Define: Learning
Behaviours being modified based of specific experiences
Define: Habituation
A form of learning where an animal gets used to a stimuli and eventually stops reacting to it
Examples of habituation
Sea hares
Orphaned moose calves
What is imprinting?
A behaviour including learning and innate components which is generally irreversible
Define: Sensitive period
A specific developmental phase which is the only time specific behavioyrs can be learned
Connect: Impriting and Sensitive period
Imprinting can only occur during the sensitive period
Example of imprinting
Young birds following their mothers
Define: Spacial Learning
Modified behaviour based on experience with spatial structure in an environment
Example of spatial learning
Digger Wasps
