Ethology

Question 1

Ethology

Answer 1

The study of animal behavior under natural conditions; radically different from behaviorism

Question 2

Species-specific Behaviors

Answer 2

Also called “species-typical” behaviors; a primary concern of ethologists

Question 3

Konrad Lorenz

Answer 3

His work on imprinting is said to have established the field of ethology

Question 4

Niko Tinbergen

Answer 4

Ethologist who introduced experimental methods into the field, enabling the construction of controlled conditions outside of a lab

Question 5

Fixed-Action Patterns (FAP)

Answer 5

action patterns that are relatively stereotyped and appear to be species-typical, or species-specific; considered innate (more complex than Pavlovian UCR, like salivation or eyeblink)
Ex. rolling an egg back to a nest or a courtship ritual

Question 6

Sign Stimuli and Releasers

Answer 6

Initiate or trigger FAPs
Sign Stimuli: features of a stimulus that are sufficient to bring about a particular FAP
Releasers: sign stimuli that function as signals from one animal to another
A “release” is a particular environmental stimulus that sets off a specific behavior

Question 7

Niko Tinbergen’s experiment on aggression

Answer 7

Male stickleback is fish establishing territories during breeding season; if one male swims into the territory of another male, likely to be attacked
Red belly of the invading stickleback is the sign stimulus and also a releaser, triggering aggression in the attacker

Question 8

Supernormal stimulus

Answer 8

stimulus that is more effective at triggering the FAP than the actual stimulus in nature (Discovered/suggested by Tinbergen’s experiment)

Question 9

Innate Releasing Mechanism (IRM)

Answer 9

Theorized mechanism in nervous system that serves to connect the sign stimulus with the right response

Question 10

Reproductive Isolating Mechanisms

Answer 10

Behaviors that prevent animals of one species from attempting to mate with animals of a closely related species; provide animal with a way of identifying others of its own species (found only in locations where closely related species share a common environment)

Question 11

Karl von Frisch

Answer 11

(Among others) found that honeybees are able to communicate the direction and distance of a food source to fellow hive members by means of special movement patterns (often called dances)

Question 12

Modern ethology

Answer 12

attempts to discover the evolutionary significance of various behaviors and explain WHY an animal behaves as it does

Question 13

Darwin, Natural Selection, and Ethology

Answer 13

Suggested that not every member of a species is equally successful at surviving and reproducing; related to reproductive fitness, altruism, theory of kin selection, and inclusive fitness

Question 14

Darwin’s 3 steps to evolution by natural selection

Answer 14

1: there are genetic differences between members of a species
2: if a genetic variation increases chances for reproduction –> increased tendency to be passed down to next generation (alternatively, if a specific variation decreases chances of reproduction –> will tend not to be passed down)
3. more and more members over time will tend to have the genetic variation that will increase chance of reproduction and less and less members will have variation that decreases chances of reproduction

Question 15

Reproductive Fitness

Answer 15

number of offspring that live to be old enough to reproduce (suggested that animals will act to increase reproductive fitness)

Question 16

Altruism

Answer 16

In context of Darwinian theory, describes behavior that decreases reproductive fitness; therefore, altruism does not help offspring (or potential offspring)
However, despite this… animals still display altruistic behaviors, putting self at risk for fellow species-members

Question 17

Theory of kin selection

Answer 17

suggests that animals act to increase inclusive fitness, rather than just reproductive fitness

Question 18

Inclusive fitness

Answer 18

takes into account not only number of offspring who survive to reproductive age, but also number of relatives who survive to reproductive age (altruism is not problematic to inclusive fitness)

Question 19

Modern ethology

Answer 19

considered a branch of biology, zoology, or sociobiology (study of how social behaviors increase fitness)

Question 20

E. O. Wilson

Answer 20

Scientist most associated with sociobiology; adamantly believes that behavior is due to complex and dynamic interplay between genetics and the environment; goal of ethology is to test hypotheses about effect of social behavior on fitness