Exam 3 Flashcards
In animal navigation what are the examples of “Simple Response”?
Movement over SHORT distance
Taxis
Kinesis
In animal navigation what are examples of “Complex Response”?
Movement over LONG distances (varies with species)
What are the 3 main strategies/forms of navigation?
Piloting, Compass, True/Real Navigation
Explain what piloting navigation is
When animals use familiar landmarks, using sensory cues such as visual, auditory and scent.
Explain what compass navigation is
Animal goes in a specific compass direction rather than following landmarks. They still use sensory cues, but rather than visual/auditory/scent, they use celestial cues from the sun, stars and magnetism.
Explain what True/Real Navigation is
It is a combination of Piloting and Compass navigation. As an animal sets out for a destination it doesn’t necessarily go in a straight line. When returning, rather than backtracking, they make a B line back to their point of origin.
What strategies of navigation use sensory cues?
ALL of them
What was Tinbergen’s hypothesis about the Digger Wasps?
Tinbergen hypothesized that the female wasps circled their nest before leaving to gather visual information used to return to the nest. When landmarks were moved, the wasps navigation was thrown off.
What did the Sahara Desert Ant experiment discover?
Homebody ants (ants who never leave the colony) can still find their way back to the nest even when unable to count steps. It was determined that they used optic flow. When their eyes were painted over, they were unable to find their way back. This proved the use of visual cues.
What is snapshot memory and what is it best used for? Give an example of this in nature.
Snap shot memory is when animals take a mental image of their environment to navigate. Best for short distance.
Example: Digger wasps
What is serial snaphot memory and what it is best used for?
Serial snapshot memory allows animals to backtrack their way home. This is best over long distances.
What is cognitive mapping ability and how does it relate to serial snapshot memory?
Cogntitive Mapping Ability happens when animals can extrapulate information to use it. Some animals that use serial snapshot memory do not need the images in order to make their way back home… this entails Cognitive mapping ability.
*Controversial*
Who is Karl Von Frisch and what study is he responsible for?
One of the Founding Fathers of Ethology
Known for navigational work with bees; Bee dance
Why is it beneficial for some species to detect polarized light?
It allows them to use the sun to navigate even when it is not entirely visible
The brightest star is called what and is part of what constellation?
Brightest star is polaris (the north star) and is part of the constellation Ursa Minor (aka Little Dipper)
How does Ursa Major (Big Dipper) progress through the sky?
Starts in the Eastern part of the sky and moves west, allowing animals to determine geographical location
What is the opposite of Ursa Major?
Cassiopeia- geographically opposite of the big dipper, starts in the west and moves easst
How does the Indigo Bunting migrate as it is a nocturnal bird?
Utilizes polaris as main point of reference
Magnetism can be both ____ and ____
Sensed and seen
Explain how Earth’s magnetism works
Earth’s solid iron core spins at a different rate than the liquid outer core around it, producing magnetism. Once magnetism is made, it exits the south pole, swings around at the quator and returns to earth and the Northern pole.
What three things are constant in magnetism?
Polarity, angle and strength of magnetism
The angle of magnetism is ____ at the poles and more ______ at the equator
Vertical at the poles and arched at the equator
Where is magnetism the strongest? The weakest?
Strongest at the poles and least strong at the equator
List some examples of species that use magnetism
Migratory birds, salmon, loggerhead turtles, monarch butterflies
How do monarchs obtain their abilities to navigate via magnetism?
As catepillars they ingest milkweek which contains iron that then stays in the system through metamorphosis allowing them to detect magnetism.
Explain how the Thalamofugal Pathway works
Cluster N becomes active under the magnetic field, dye was injected into the Cluster N and the neurons were traced to the thalamus (its relay center), this tells sensory information where to go in the brain.
What is the evidence that magnetism can be seen?
Dye was injected into the eye of migratory birds, and it projected to the same thalamicnucleus as Cluster N.
What allows Zebra Finches to see magnetism? What about other species?
There are 4 different cryptochromes that detect magnetism in Zebra Finches that allow them to see magnetism. In other species there is an iron oxide known as magnetite which has been detected in the beaks of birds (typically in migratory birds)
What is the general olfactory system?
Allows animals to consciously detect odors
What is the vomeronasal system?
Allows animals to unconciously detect odors (They don’t know odors are there but they have an obvious affect on the animal)
What is the first hypothesis of olfaction in salmon?
Fish use something about their natal waters such as soil, rocks and plants
What is the second hypothesis of olfaction in salmon?
Fish use cues from fish who have previously made that migration (Early migrators)
What was the Choice Test Experiment?
Salmon were put into one of two aquariums (one with water from their natal stream, and one with novel water they have never been exposed to)
What were the results of the Choice Test Experiment?
More activity in the olfactory bulb when placed in natal stream water
What is the first stop that olfactory information makes on its way to the brain?
Olfactory bulb
How does Thyroxine work?
It increases metabolism by increasing carbohydrate breakdown and also increases the release of cortisol
How does cortisol work both negatively and/or postively?
Long term cortisol can compromise memory, reproduction, and the immune system resulting in earlier death.
Short term cortisol can actually enhance memory
The faster bats send out info the ____ they will receive it
The faster they will receive it
The more intense bats send out information the more ______ other animals receive it
Accurately
What happens to bats when they send out echolocation signals?
They become temporarily deaf by disconnecting the 3 ear bones
What is the difference between passive and active electrolocators?
Passive electrolocators can only detect electrical discharge, Active electrolocators can both produce and detect electric charge
What are electroreceptors?
Receptors that detect electric discharge, located laterally on animals
How does jamming avoidance work?
Animals alter their frequencies so that other animals around don’t interfere
What relationship does the poplar aphid experiment demonstrate?
Habitat selection and reproductive success
Where is the best spot for the female aphid to lay their egg?
Where the stem and leaf meet (The petiole) which is the most nutrient rich part of the leaf
If eggs can not be laid on the petiole where would they be laid?
Midrib- or middle line of the leaf
If eggs can not be laid at the petiole or midrib, where would they be laid next? And if that spot is unavailable as well?
Veins are 3rd, 4th best would be the edges
Which aphids would have the most reproductive success?
Those that got there first and were able to reproduce on the petiole