Chapter 51 - Animal Behavior

Question 1

What did Ivan Pavlov study?

Answer 1

Studied classical conditioning (dog salivation)

Found that an involuntary behavior can be modified by experience (conditioned response)

Question 2

What did BF Skinner study?

Answer 2

Operant conditioning in rats

Found that a voluntary behavior can be changed with a reward/punishment based system

Question 3

Define classical conditioning.

Answer 3

When an arbitrary (involuntary) behavior is associated with a stimulus.

Neutral stimulus + unconditioned response becomes a conditioned stimulus and a conditioned response.

Question 4

Define operant conditioning.

Answer 4

When a specific (voluntary) behavior is associated with reward or punishment leading to an association between the behavior and the consequences for that behavior.
Also called trial and error learning

Question 5

What did Karl von Frisch study?

Answer 5

Bee language

Question 6

What did Konrad Lorenz study?

Answer 6

Imprinting/bonding between parent and offspring

Question 7

What did Niko Tinbergen study?

Answer 7

Instinct behaviors

Question 8

What is a fixed action pattern?

Answer 8

A sequence is innate unlearned acts directly linked to a simple stimulus, is unchangeable and once initiated, usually carried to completion. It is triggered by a sign stimulus.

Question 9

What is a sign stimulus?

Answer 9

An external cue that triggers a fixed action pattern

Question 10

Define migration.

Answer 10

A regular, long-distance change in location from an area of good food supply to an area that is good for breeding/giving birth.

Question 11

What is bi-coordinate navigation?

Answer 11

True/unlearned navigation in which animals can get to/from a place they have never traveled before using environmental cues. Occurs in species where there is no parental care after birth.

Question 12

Describe the circadian clock.

Answer 12

Controls circadian rhythms in daily behaviors and is controlled by the SNC (suprachiasmic nuclei) in mammals; read the position of the sun

Question 13

Why are some animals diurnal and some nocturnal?

Answer 13

They depend on when their food supply is active.

Question 14

Who uses the position of the North Star?

Answer 14

Nocturnal animals

Question 15

Who uses the Earth’s magnetic field and how?

Answer 15

Pigeons and some sharks through iron or crystal or magnetite in their heads

Question 16

Who uses the position of the Milky Way?

Answer 16

African Dung Beetle!

Question 17

Describe Circannual Rhythms and when they are important.

Answer 17

Changing seasons; daylight and darkness are common seasonal cues; some behaviors are linked to lunar cycles which affect ocean tides.
Important in Migration, Hibernation and Reproduction

Question 18

Define Communication

Answer 18

The transmission and reception of signals

Question 19

What are the four modes of animal communication

Answer 19

Visual
Chemical (pheromones)
Tactile
Auditory

Question 20

What kind of communication do diurnal animals use? Nocturnal?

Answer 20

Visual and auditory

Auditory and olfactory

Question 21

Describe visual display in squid

Answer 21

They use their color and posture. Do not use sound because it radiates everywhere

Question 22

What cues are being used in bee communication

Answer 22

Tactile and chemical
Round dance tells food is near
Waggle dance describes location of more distant food

Question 23

Describe pheromones

Answer 23

They work intraspecifically and are effective at low concentrations

Question 24

Define innate behavior.

Answer 24

(Fixed action pattern) a developmentally fixed behavior that does no vary among individuals

Question 25

Define cross fostering.

Answer 25

When the young of one species are placed in the care of adults from another species in the same or similar environment to measure learning in a species

Question 26

Define learning

Answer 26

The modification of behavior based on specific experiences. | Depends on the formation of memories

Question 27

Describe imprinting

Answer 27

The establishment of a long lasting behavioral response to a particular individual or object and includes both learning and innate components and is generally irreversible. It is distinguished from other learning by a sensitive period.

Question 28

What is a sensitive period?

Answer 28

(Critical period) a limited developmental phase that is the only time when certain behaviors can be learned and is usually very short and soon after birth

Question 29

Describe imprinting in geese.

Answer 29

Period lasts for a few hours; imprint stimulus is an object that is close and moving away from it

Question 30

Describe imprinting in seals.

Answer 30

Lasts a few minutes and they use smell and sound

Question 31

Describe what happened when sandhill cranes were used to imprint for whooping cranes.

Answer 31

Whooping cranes could not make strong pair bonds with other whooping cranes when it came to mating

Question 32

What is associative learning?

Answer 32

The ability to associate one environmental feature (ie color) with another (ie taste)

Question 33

Define cognition

Answer 33

A process of knowing that may include awareness, reasoning, recollection, and judgement Ex. Honeybees can distinguish “same” from “different” and can recognize individuals

Question 34

Describe problem solving

Answer 34

The process of devising a strategy to overcome an obstacle | Ie. Chimpanzees, ravens, catfish

Question 35

What is social learning?

Answer 35

Learning through the observation of others and forms the rocks of culture

Question 36

Define culture

Answer 36

Information transferred by observation or teaching that influences the behavior of individuals in a population; can alter behavior and influence the fitness of individuals

Question 37

List the food obtaining behavior included in foraging

Answer 37

Recognizing prey Searching for prey Capturing prey Eating prey

Question 38

What does mating behavior include?

Answer 38

Seeking or attracting mates Choosing among potential mates Competing for mates Caring for offspring

Question 39

Define promiscuity

Answer 39

No strong pair bonds or lasting relationships

Question 40

Describe monogamy

Answer 40

One male mates with one female; usually morphological similar

Question 41

Describe polygamy

Answer 41

One individual mates with many of the opposite sex; usually sexually dimorphic

Question 42

Define polygyny and what are the benefits?

Answer 42

When one male mates with many females; males are usually larger and more showy Males gain higher fitness and more offspring Females offspring will have good traits and they will get protection

Question 43

Describe polyandry and it’s benefits.

Answer 43

One female mates with many males; females are usually larger and more showy Males compete and offspring get better traits Females get protection

Question 44

What is coefficient of relatedness?

Answer 44

The fraction of genes that on average are shared

Question 45

Define altruism

Answer 45

A behavior that reduces one’s fitness but increases the fitness of others in the population

Question 46

Define inclusive fitness

Answer 46

When an animal’s offspring contributes to its individual fitness because they’re related

Question 47

Define Kin selection

Answer 47

The natural selection that favors altruistic behaviors by enhancing reproductive success of close relatives and weakens with hereditary distance

Question 48

Describe reciprocal altruism

Answer 48

Altruistic behavior toward unrelated individuals and is only positive if the aided individual returns the favor in the future; rare and limited to species with stable social groups where individuals meet repeatedly and cheaters are punished