Exam 3 Prep Flashcards
Define communication (in humans)
Defined as the process of sending and receiving messages (information) through verbal or nonverbal means
Modes of communication in animals
Tactile- licking in wolves/ bee dance
Olfactory- scent marking
Visual- facial expressions, body language
Auditory- whale song
What are the two types of bee dance and what do they mean
Waggle dance- The pollen source is LESS than 100 meters from the hive
Figure 8 dance- The pollen source is MORE than 100 meters from the hive
Are bee dances tactile or visual
tactile
How is scent marking a form of animal communication (in particular dogs)
Use of pheromones
Dogs use Jacobsen’s organ located in nasal cavity and each individual has a unique smell that conveys information like dominant/submissive nature, mating receptivity, health status, etc.
Scent marking conveys information targeted at conspecifics but can also alert interspecifics. Messages include social status and breeding availability
True or False: Whale song is only performed by baleen whales
True. These include: Blue, Fin, Humpback, Bowhead, Minke
Theories on the purpose of whale song
Attract mates
Coordinate migration
Communicate with their young
T or F: only male whales sing
True
What is the purpose of a wolf’s howl
Communicates location to other pack members
Ward of rival packs
Why do dogs yawn
Sleepy
To show submission
When they feel pressure/stress
One theory is to cool off the brain
Define cognition
the mental action or process of acquiring knowledge and understanding through thought, experience, and the senses
Define latent learning and give an example
Association of different stimuli or situations without obvious reward. What is learned may not be obvious at the time
Ex: Animal learns environment by exploring then escapes fro predator using this knowledge. Or: Rat explores maze when not hungry then later runs through it faster than one without this previous opportunity.
Define insight learning and give an example
Solving a problem too rapidly for normal trial and error learning
Perhaps going through solutions in mind without actually trying them physically
Ex: Problem of getting out of reach food. Chimp thinks about problem and stacks boxes together to get the food.
Define observational learning and give an example
Learning takes place by watching another animal learn. Thorndike didn’t believe in this. Ex: Dolphins at Sea Life park were held in separate holding pens but each performed separately in main pool and each learned other animal’s behaviors.
Define imprinting and give an example
Special type of learning that only occurs during a sensitive or critical period and is irreversible. Often, the knowledge acquired is not manifested until much later in life: Filial (parental) imprinting and sexual (species recognition) imprinting
Define behavioral ecology
How behavior is controlled, how it evolves, develops and contributes to reproductive success and survival, based on observations
How to factor in selective pressures when studying the evolution of behavior
Determine whether certain behaviors are favored or penalized by natural selection. Compare species and compare those that are closely related. Have they adopted different strategies?
Define convergent evolution
Evolution of the same behavior in unrelated species
Example of convergent evolution
Hawks and falcons are examples of raptors that diverged from a common ancestor.
Buteos (soaring hawks) evolved to soar in the air and catch terrestrial prey
Falcons evolved to hunt mostly other birds and to catch them air to air
The majority of raptors hunt independently and share food with their mates
Harris’ hawks and Aplomado falcons share overlapping habitats in a desert environment and as a result are pressured to be generalized in their prey choices- Convergence- both species evolved to be cooperative hunters in familial groups
Wingspan of hawks and falcons in order of longest to shortest
Eagle
Buteo
Accipiter
Falcon
What are weaver birds
Small finches which live throughout Africa and Asia
Some species are solitary while some live in large flocks
Some build cryptic nests in large defended territories while others cluster their nests into colonies
Some are monogamous while others are polygamous
Mating systems of weaver birds
Monogamous- male/female pair
Polygamous:
- Polygynous- one male mates with more than one female
- Polyandrous- one female mates with more than one male
- Polygyndandry- several males mate with several females simultaneously
What was John Crook looking for in the weaver bird study in 1964
Correlations between the birds’ (90 species) social organization and their ecology
What variables were examined in John Crook’s weaver bird study
Type of food
Distribution and abundance of food
Predators
Nest sites
– sorted into two broad categories: Forest-living and Savanna-living species
Tendencies of forest-living species of weaver birds
tended to be insectivorous
solitary feeders
defend large territories
build cryptic, solitary nests
monogamous with very little sexual dimorphism
Avoids predators by having no bright, attractive colors
Tendencies of savanna-living species of weaver birds
tended to eat seeds- more efficient to find patches of seeds by being in a group. Abundant, little competition
feed in flocks
nest colonially in conspicuous nests
polygamous with obvious sexual dimorphism
Bright plumage
Tendencies of African ungulates (small species)
High metabolic requirement per unit of weight- need to select high quality food
Such food tends to occur in forest and be scattered so animals tend to be solitary
Avoid predators by hiding
Mating system of territorial pair
Tendencies of African ungulates (big species)
Eat poor quality food- eat lots of food by grazing unselectively on plains
Live in herds- don’t defend food
Males may defend female herd from other males
Flee predators or group defense
Crook and Gartlan’s study in 1966 divided primates into five categories based on ecoloy and behavior. What defined Grade I, Middle grade, and Grade V?
Grade I- insectivorous, nocturnal, solitary, forest animals
Middle Grade- Fruit and leaf-eating species which are diurnal and live in small to large groups
Grade V- Vegetarian browsers of open country which live in large groups and show marked sexual dimorphism
What did Crook and Gartlan suggest was the two main selective pressures responsible for the link between social organization and habitat in primates
food and predation (but this was not necessarily correct)
T or F: Larger animals need to eat more food and so should have larger home ranges
True
Diff between chimp and bonobo
Chimp: Found across equatorial Africa, males use aggression to compete for dominance rank and obtain sex, males cooperate to defend their home range and attack other groups
Bonobo- live South of Congo River, males subordinate to females, do not compete intensely for dominance rank, and do not form alliances. No evidence of lethal aggression between groups, playful throughout life, show intense sexual behavior that serve non-conceptive functions and often involves same-sex partners.
What is the Optimality theory
Assumes natural selection will favor the evolution of optimal behavior (the best behavior for a given situation)
Optimal Foraging Theory- Animal should either maximize its energy intake or minimize its costs
Define solitary
Live alone most of the time
Come together only for mating
Define gregarious
Large groups
Individual is never alone
Advantages to living in a group
Protection, benefits of cooperative hunting, defense of resources, communal rearing of young, more eyes to watch for predators/make alarm calls, dilution effect, division of labor
Disadvantages to living in a group
sharing resources, direct competition between conspecifics, very visible, spreading of disease
Rank this hierachy from most to least dominant: Alpha, Beta, Omega
Alpha- most dominant
Beta- second most dominant
Omega- Lowest ranking
Define Autocratic hierarchy
One individual is clearly dominant over all the others
No hierarchy amongst others in the group
Supersedence
Momentary dominance situation
Occurs in large groups
Are Harris hawk’s female or male dominant
female dominant
