Evolution of behaviour

Question 1

what is evolution?

Answer 1

the process by which different kinds of living organisms are believed to have developed from earlier forms during the history of the earth

Question 2

evolution in terms of evoltion vs development

Answer 2

process whereby a species’ heritable characteristics change over many generations

Question 3

development in terms of evolution vs development

Answer 3

changes an animal undergoes during its lifetime → limited by genetics, influenced by the environment and experiences

Question 4

why does behaviour evolve?

Answer 4

to suit their environment and increase their fitness

Question 5

fitness (in terms of evolution)

Answer 5

the ability to pass on their genes to the next generations (or the ability to reproduce viable offspring)

Question 6

darwinian theory 1.)

Answer 6

animals within a species display a range pf different heritable characteristics → which include both physical and behavioural traits

Question 7

heredity

Answer 7

passing traits from parents to offspring
in behaviour, this is known as innate
often, behaviour os both innate and learned

Question 8

darwinian theory 2.)

Answer 8

there is competition for resources which means that some animals in a species will not survive long enough to reproduce

Question 9

darwinian theory 3.)

Answer 9

animals with characteristics that are better suited to their environment are more likely to survive and pass them on to offspring

Question 10

darwinian theory 4.)

Answer 10

these successful characteristics are therefore passed on to the next generation → the traits become more represented in the population over time, leading to adaptation and possible speciation

Question 11

speciation

Answer 11

when a group within a species seperates from other members of its species and develops its own unique characteristics

Question 12

wild animal

Answer 12

an animal not genetically altered by artificial selection for use by humans

Question 13

tame animal

Answer 13

a wild animal through intervention of man, has adapted behaviourally so as to be traceable and useful to humans

Question 14

domestication

Answer 14

the process of adapting wild plants and animals for human use

Question 15

instinctive behaviour

Answer 15

behaviour shown in all normal members of a species (AKA innate behaviour)

Question 16

fixed action pattern

Answer 16

hard-wired into animals, requiring external stimuli , continuing through ‘action patterns’
a particular stimulus for a particular species almost always results in the same predictable behaviour for a fixed action pattern
wx. digger wasp

Question 17

imprinting

Answer 17

specific type of learning , enabling offspring to recognise its parent and distinguish it from other adults in the flock
- studied by Konrad Lorenz and it is irreversible as well as limited in the young lives such as Greylag geese chicks

Question 18

imprinting advantages

Answer 18

offspring to recognise its parent and distinguish it from other adults in the flock/ herd.
once offspring is active, it will not stray away from parents

Question 19

learned behaviour

Answer 19

modification of behaviour as a result of experience
capable of modification
subject to improvement through practice

Question 20

habituation

Answer 20

animal learning not to react to respond to a repeated stimulus that conveys little or no information
ex : birds becoming habituated to scarecrows and no longer avoid nearby crops.

Question 21

association / associative learning

Answer 21

animals learn that a particular stimulus or response is linked to a reward or punishment
ex : ducks have learned to associate humans with food handouts.

Question 22

imitation / parental or social learning

Answer 22

• animals learn by observing or mimicking the behaviour of others
• many predators, including cats and coyotes, seem to learn some of their basic hunting tactics by observing and imitating their mother.
• form of learning that is not limited to a sensitive period

Question 23

trial and error

Answer 23

• form of associative learning
• an animals learns to associate one of its own behavioural acts with a positive/negative effect

Question 24

cultural behaviour

Answer 24

the adoption of a particular behaviour across groups
- learning itself takes place through observational/social learning , behaviour becoming common place throughout the group
ex : chimpanzees using tools

Question 25

Observational learning

Answer 25

useful for animals when it comes to solving problems , becoming risky when the activity performed is potentially dangerous because the ‘error’ might result in injury or death
ex : young birds learn to fly by watching their parents
tiger cubs learn to hunt by watching their parents

Question 26

internal factors that influence behaviour

Answer 26

• hunger + thirst
• hormones (aggression, reproduction etc)
• stress and fear
• health
• fatigue

Question 27

external factors that influence behaviour

Question 28

Precocial

Answer 28

Offspring is independent from birth and tend to imprint on their mother within the first 24 hours in their lives
ex : Greylag geese chicks

Question 29

Altricial

Answer 29

Offspring is born helpless and often blind , not imprinting until late in their life when they become independent and able to follow their mother
ex : kittens