Topic 23: Individuals, behavior and environment

Question 1

Behaviors form in conjunction with what other features of an organism to form its coping mechanism to respond to the environment?

Answer 1

Morphology and physiology

Question 2

Give an example of how behavior is related to morphology and physiology of 1 organism (foraging behaviors e.g.)

Answer 2

Herbivores whose teeth are suitable for chewing plants and larger rumen guts to digest plant cell wall
-> consume plants

Question 3

How is behavior significant in terms of ecology and evolution?

Answer 3

• Ecologically:
  + links between organisms and the environment (biotic and abiotic)
  + affects demographic rates
  + affects interactions among species
• Evolutionary:
  + behaviors evolve to adapt and increase fitness
  + behaviors have some genetic basis
  + behaviors are selected to favor benefits over costs

Question 4

How are behaviors related to the biotic and abiotic environment?

Answer 4

• Abiotic: behaviors are responses to changes in the weather conditions or surrounding environment in general
• Biotic: interactions with other species like avoiding to become food or within species like choosing mates

Question 5

Identify 3 key aspects of behaviors of organisms

Answer 5

• Obtain food
• Avoid being food
• Reproduce

Question 6

Describe different ways organisms can obtain food, problems in those methods and theories underlying that

Answer 6

• Can be either ambush predators or active predators
• Behaviors are developed based on:
  + the type of food: herbivore, carnivore, omnivores, etc.
  + how they get food: ambush vs. active
  + diet breadth: generalist vs. specialist
  + predators avoidance
• Common feature: non-random
• Theories in foraging behaviors:
  + Optimal foraging method: in a non-depleting environment -> organisms maximize energy intake
  + Marginal value theorem: depleting environment -> foragers stop harvesting if their harvest rate < average rate

Question 7

Identify and describe some ways of avoiding becoming food

Answer 7

Escape, defend, group, hide, act costly, be costly or foraging in safe places and times
e.g. near nests

Question 8

Identify problems that may associated with avoidance behaviors to stay away from predators

Answer 8

• feed near vegetation cover or near niche: depleting environment + missed opportunities to find food s.w else
• grouping: competition, social aggression

Question 9

What are the features of mating and courtship and parental care in forming reproduce behaviors?

Answer 9

• Courtship and mating involves: (sexual selection )
  
  • Intra-sexual selection: male-male competition → sexual dimorphism (e.g. hefty vs. slight)
  • Inter-sexual selection: female choice → sexual dimorphism (e.g. flashy vs plain)
• Parental care: evolve to keep the benefits (i.e probability of surviving and continuing to reproduce) > costs (lost chances to reproduce again)

Question 10

Explain why male peacock’s tail is very large and colorful
Some benefits and costs associated with that

Answer 10

Male peacock’s tail is very large and color. Despite high risk of predation and high cost of energy in production and maintenance, it has great benefits to increase the likelihood of being chosen by a female and reproduce

Question 11

Does only animals have behaviors?

Answer 11

Not only animals, but plants do also display behaviors e.g. plants growing towards light, molds growing and moving towards new area for food, roots growing along chemical gradients, etc.

Question 12

Differentiate modular and unitary organisms

Answer 12

• Modular organisms:
  + Reproduce by addition of genetically identical organisms (i.e asexually)
  + Difficult to count the population
• Unitary organisms:
  + Genetically distinct organism
  + Possess a determinate adult form
  + Predictable growth and development