DAT bio Chapter 15 Animal behavior

Question 1

What is ethology?

Answer 1

study of animal behaviors

which are inherited (innate) or learned

Question 2

examples of inherited behaviors (innate)

Answer 2

instincts
reflexes
fixed action patterns
imprinting

Question 3

What is instinct

Answer 3

(inherited) innate behaviors that occur without
thought. eg: birds undergoing migration in
response to seasonal changes.

Question 4

What is reflexes

Answer 4

involuntary rapid responses to a

stimulus. Reflex arcs are controlled by a neural
circuit. There are 2 types:

Question 5

2 types of reflexes

Answer 5

simple reflexes: most rapid

complex reflexes: slower

Question 6

what is fixed action patterns?

Answer 6

behavior that is initiated by a specific stimulus. Once this stimulus initiates the fixed action pattern, the behavior will almost always continue to completion. This is true even when the stimulus is removed during the behavior.

Question 7

What is imprinting?

Answer 7

innate way that animals learn
behaviors that will never be forgotten. Occurs
during the critical period or critical imprinting
stage (eg: ducklings treating a moving object as
their mother & following it).

Question 8

What is learned behavior

Answer 8

increase an animal’s fitness because they allow animals to adapt to unexpected events, creating behaviors that will be more advantageous the next time that event occur

Question 9

types of learned behavior

Answer 9

classical
operant
associative

Question 10

What is classical conditioning?

Answer 10

pairing a neutral
stimulus (elicits no physiological response) to an
unconditioned stimulus (naturally elicits a
physiological response - unconditioned
response).
This conditions the unconditioned
response to be mentally paired with a neutral
stimulus (becomes a conditioned stimulus)
resulting in a conditioned response.

Question 11

Example of classical conditoning

Answer 11

the bell is the neutral stimulus because its not making the dog salivate
The food is the unconditioned stimulus
The salivation from the dog is the unconditioned response.
You ring the bell everytime you give the food to the dog!

However, if the bell is rung every time the dog is presented with food, the dog will be classically conditioned to associate the bell with food. It will then begin to salivate when it hears a bell, and the bell will no longer be a neutral stimulus. Instead, it will be a conditioned stimulus!

So, in response to the conditioned stimulus (bell) there will be a conditioned response (salivation). Before the classical association, ringing a bell would not generate a response in the dogs.

Question 12

Stimulus generalization:

Answer 12

a conditioned
animal responds to stimuli not identical to
the original conditioned stimulus. The more a
stimulus differs from the original conditioned
stimulus, the smaller the conditioned
response (stimulus generalization
gradient).

Question 13

Stimulus discrimination:

Answer 13

differentiation
between a conditioned stimulus and other
similar, but different, non-conditioned stimuli.

Question 14

2. Operant conditioning:

Answer 14

learning to associate a
behavior with a reward (increases behavior) or a
punishment (decreases behavior).

Question 15

positive punishment

Answer 15

adds something bad to decrease behavior

Question 16

positive reinforcement

Answer 16

adds something good to increase the behavrio

Question 17

negative punishment

Answer 17

take away something good to decrease behavior

Question 18

negative reinforcement

Answer 18

take away something bad to increase a behavior

Question 19

Associative Learning:

Answer 19

learning that two things
are connected to each other. Increases stimulus
response efficiency. Can be forgotten (extinction)
or remembered via re-association (recovery)

Question 20

Spatial learning:

Answer 20

associating a response with

a specific location.

Question 21

Sensitization:

Answer 21

as stimulus occurs more often,

behavioral response increases.

Question 22

Habituation:

Answer 22

decreasing behavioral response
in response to repetitive, meaningless
stimulus. If stimulus is absent for some time,
spontaneous recovery of the behavior can
occur.

Question 23

Observational learning:

Answer 23

learning: learning by
watching another animal perform the same
behavior.The animal learns without
reinforcement and increases efficiency.

Question 24

Insight:

Answer 24

learning in a new situation. No

reinforcement required.

Question 25

Kinesis:

Answer 25

changing speed in random directions -
no target (Favourable environment → reduce
speed; Unfavourable environment → increase
speed). eg: flatworm escaping when exposed to
light.

Question 26

Taxis:

Answer 26

movement with a specific direction,
towards (positive taxis) or away (negative taxis)
from a stimulus. Light stimulus = phototaxis;
chemical stimulus = chemotaxis.

Question 27

Visual communication

Answer 27

associated with aggressive (eg: wolves
baring teeth) and submissive behaviors (eg:
wolves lowering tail). Another example is
courtship/mating rituals.

Question 28

auditory

Answer 28

communication via sounds.

Beneficial at night and over long distances.

Question 29

Tactile:

Answer 29

communication via touch (eg: wolves

greeting by licking muzzles).

Question 30

Chemical:

Answer 30

communication via chemicals.
Releaser pheromones (immediate, reversible
behaviors) and primer pheromones (long term
behaviors).

Question 31

Agonistic behaviors:

Answer 31

competing for food,
territory, or mates. Include: threats, aggression
(often detrimental to both parties), and
submission.

Question 32

Appeasement behavior

Answer 32

(a threat
by one animal causes another animal’s
submission) avoids aggression (prevents injuries).

Question 33

Search images:

Answer 33

abbreviating what food looks like
to quickly locate abundant and safe food without
much thought.

Question 34

Altruistic behaviors:

Answer 34

sacrifices made for

relatives.

Question 35

Inclusive fitness

Answer 35

sum of animal’s direct
(genes animal passes on) and indirect (genes
passed on by relatives) fitness. Increased by
indirect fitness (kin selection).

Question 36

For altruistic behaviors to occur what must happen

Answer 36

indirect fitness > direct fitness

Question 37

Reciprocal altruism:

Answer 37

sacrifices made for
other organisms in anticipation of a future
reward (‘I help your family, you later help
mine’).

Question 38

Female choice

Answer 38

increases attractive traits in

males.

Question 39

Male competition

Answer 39

rewards strongest males

with more mating opportunities.

Question 40

Sexual dimorphism:

Answer 40

males and females of
same species look different (eg. males larger
than females).

Question 41

Polygyny

Answer 41

one male multiple females.

Question 42

Polyandry

Answer 42

one female multiple males.

Question 43

Semelparity

Answer 43

mate once in lifetime (multiple
offspring, low survival, harsh conditions, no
parental care).

Question 44

Iteroparity =

Answer 44

mate many times in lifetime
(one offspring, high survival, dependable
environment, parental care).