Chapter 51- Animal Behavior Flashcards
Proximate questions
How questions, genetically how the behavior got there
Ultimate questions
Why questions, evolutionary significance
Fixed action pattern
Largely invariant behavior pattern
Sign stimulus
Simple cue that triggers fixed action patterns
Communication
The transmission and reception of signals by animals
Four types of communication are-
Visual, auditory, chemical(usually pheromones), and tactile
Learning
Modification of behavior based on experience
Imprinting
Formation at a specific stage of life of long lasting behavioral responses
Sensitive period
Specific length of time where imprinting must occur or it never will
Spacial learning
Establishment of a memory of landmarks in the environment
Cognitive map
Representation in the nervous system of the spastic relationships in the environment
Associative learning
Learning where associations are made between experiences
Two types of associative learning-
Classical conditioning and operant conditioning
Classical conditioning
Stimulus becomes associated with a particular outcome
Operant conditioning
Animal learns to associate behavior with reward or punishment, then learns to either repeat or avoid that behavior
Cognition
Process of knowing that involves awareness, reasoning, recollection, and judgment
Social learning
Learning by watching others perform the behavior
Optimal foraging model
Idea that natural selection favors foraging that minimizes cost of foraging and maximizes foraging benefits
Pair bond systems
Promiscuous, monogamy, polygyny, polyandry
Game theory
Way of thinking of evolution where behavioral phenotype are influenced by other behavioral phenotypes
Altruism
Behavior that reduces an individual’s fitness but increases others’ within the population
Inclusive fitness
Total effect an individual has on proliferating genes by producing offspring and aiding close relatives so they can produce offspring
Behavior
Sum of responses to stimuli that includes muscular as well as non muscular activity
