Chapter 51: Animal Behavior Flashcards
behavior
action carried out by muscles under control of nervous system in response to a stimulus
why is behavior subject to natural selection?
it plays a role in survival, reproduction, and anatomy
Niko Tinbergen’s first question to understand behavior
- What stimulus elicits behavior, what physiological mechanisms mediate the response?
Niko Tinbergen’s second question to understand behavior
- How does animal’s experience during growth and development influence the response?
Niko Tinbergen’s third question to understand behavior
- How does behavior aid survival and reproduction?
Niko Tinbergen’s fourth question to understand behavior
- What is behavior/s evolutionary history?
proximate causation
how a behavior occurs/is modified (Tinbergen’s first two questions)
ultimate causation
why behavior occurs (Tinbergen’s second two questions)
behavioral ecology
study of ecological and evolutionary basis for animal behavior
fixed action pattern
sequence of unlearned acts directly linked to a simple stimulus
qualities of fixed action patterns
unchangeable
carried to completion once initiated
sign stimulus
external cue that triggers the behavior
migration
regular, long-distance change in location
circadian clock
internal mechanism that maintains 24 hour cycle
some animals can sense position in relation to
Earth’s magnetic field
circannual rhythms
behavioral rhythms linked to seasonal cycle
circannual rhythms influenced by
period of daylight and darkness
signal
stimulus transmitted from one animal to another
communication
transmission/reception of signals
stimulus response chain
response to each stimulus is the stimulus for the next behavior
four types of communication
visual
chemical
tactile
auditory
Karl von Frisch
studied behavior of honeybees to decipher communication between bees about direction/location of food
pheromones
chemical substances that allow animals to communicate through odors or taste
pheromones are commonly related to
reproductive behavior among mammals and insects
pheromones can serve as
alarm signals
innate behavior
behavior that is developmentally fixed
cross-fostering study
young of one species is placed in care of adults of another species
cross-fostering study answers
Tinbergen’s second question
twin study
influence of genetics and environment in humans observed by studying twins raised apart vs. together
learning
modification of behavior based on specific experiences
imprinting
formation of long-lasting behavior at a specific stage in life to a particular individual or object
sensitive (critical) period
limited developmental phase during which imprinting can occur
imprinting stimulus is _______ response is _______
external
innate
Konrad Lorenz
geese imprinted on him instead of their mother
showed no recognition of their biological mother
pair-bond
strong attachment among mates
how can pair-bond be missing
when species are raised by foster species
spatial learning
establishment of a memory that reflects environment’s spatial structure
example of spatial learning
digger wasps memorize location of burrow relative to landmarks
cognitive map
representation in nervous system of spatial relationships between objects in animal’s surroundings
associative learning
ability to link one environmental factor to another based on experience
classical conditioning
arbitrary stimulus associated with particular outcome
example of classical conditioning
Pavlov’s dog
operant conditioning
associate behaviors with award of punishment
why can’t some animals make certain connections
say they can link bad taste with a certain color but not a certain smell
the relationship was unlikely to happen in nature therefore natural selection did not make it happen
cognition
process of knowing that involves awareness, reasoning, recollection, and judgement
problem solving
cognitive activity of devising a method to proceed from one state to another in the face of obstacles
social learning
learning through observing others
culture
system of information transfer through social learning or teaching that influences behavior of individuals in a population
changes as a result of culture occur how compared to changes as result of natural selection
much quicker
foraging
food obtaining behavior
fruit fly foraging in low population densities
traveling short distances is more beneficial (forS allele)
fruit fly foraging in high population densities
traveling long distances to get food is more beneficial (forR allele)
foraging behavior must compromise between
benefits of nutrition and cost of obtaining food
cost
energy spent getting food and risk of being eaten
optimal foraging model
natural selection should favor foraging behavior that minimizes cost and maximizes benefits
risk of predation influences
behavior
promiscuous
no strong pair-bonds
monogamous
one male and one female, usually morphologically alike
polygamous
one individual of one sex and many of the other, usually morphologically different
polygyny
many females
males are dimorphic, showy
polyandry
many males
females are dimorphic, showy
sexual dimorphism
extent to which males and females differ in appearance
certainty of paternity
how sure the male can be that his mate is carrying his offpsring
certainty of paternity plays role in
mating behavior and parental care
certainty of paternity is low in
internal fertilization
certainty of paternity is high in
external fertilization
intersexual selection
members of one sex choose mate based on characteristics of the other sex
intrasexual selection
competition between members of one sex for mates
ornaments
sign of health and vitality
why does imprinting influence female’s attraction towards ornaments?
females imprint on appearance of father
mate-choice copying
behavior in which individuals in population copy the mate choice of others
why is mate-choice copying beneficial?
mating with males that other females find attractive increases chance that offspring will be found attractive and pass on genetic info
agonistic behavior
ritualized contest between males in which winner gets access to resource (usually food or mates)
game theory
evaluates alternative strategies in situations where outcome depends on strategies of all individuals involved (like rock, paper, scissors)
fru
gene that controls courtship behavior in fruit-flies
case study of garter snakes
coastal snakes eat banana slugs; inland snakes do not
some could smell some couldn’t, gene of smelling was passed on and they followed the source of food to the coast
altruism
behavior that reduces individual fitness but increases fitness of other individuals in the population
example of altruism
Belding’s ground squirrel gives call when predator is potted - warns others but gives away location
inclusive fitness
total effect an individual has on proliferating its genes by producing offspring and aiding relatives to allow them to produce offspring
factors of inclusive fitness
benefit to recipient
cost to altruist
coefficient of relatedness
cost (C)
how many fewer offspring the altruist produces
benefit (B)
average number of extra offspring that beneficiary produces
coefficient of relatedness (r)
fraction of genes that are shared on average between beneficiary and offspring
Hamilton’s rule
rB > C
natural selection favors altruism when benefits are greater than costs
kin selection
natural selection that favors altruistic behavior by enhancing reproductive success of relatives
recipricol altruism
altruism that occurs between unrelated individuals with the expectation that it will be returned in the future
cheating
not returning favors to individuals who have been helpful in the past
tit-for-tat
if one individual cheats, the altruistic individual retaliates but becomes cooperative when the other cooperates
sociobiology
certain behavioral characteristics exist because they are expressions of genes that have been perpetuated by natural selection
