Unit 8 Flashcards
inate behavior
- developmentally fixed
- inherited/unlearned
fixed action patterns (FAPs)
sequences of unlearned acts that are largely unchangeable and usually carried to completion once initiated
circadian rhythms
occur on a daily cycle
- triggered by differing day lengths or lunar cycles
pheromones
chemical signals emitted by members of a species that affect other members
- reproductive behavior/alarm signal
behavior cannot be directed by genes (T/F)
false
altruism
when animals behave in a way that reduce their individual fitness but increase the fitness of others in the population
- ex. a blue jay giving an alarm call attracts attention to its location
inclusive fitness
the total effect an individual has on proliferating its gene by producing its own offspring and by provision aid that enables other close relatives to produce offspring
- favored by kin selection
thermoregulation
how animals maintain their internal temp. within a tolerable range
- may involve physiological changes of behavior
endotherms
warmed mostly by heat generated by metabolism
- ex. birds and mammals
ectotherms
generate relatively little metabolic heat, gaining most from external sources
- ex. invertebrates, fish, reptiles
metabolic rate
total amount of energy used in a unit of time
- generally higher for endotherms than for ectotherms
- inversely related to body size
- ex. elephants experience lower metabolic rates than mice
ecology
the scientific study of the interactions between organisms and the environment
four key components of climate:
temperature, precipitation, sunlight, and wind
microclimate
determined by fine-scale variations such as sunlight and temp. differences under a log compared with the surrounding forest floor
microclimate patterns work at the global, ______, or local level
regional
- affected by the changing angel of the sun, bodies of water, and mountains
changes in ______ can alter the population sizes or distribution of many species
climate
- some will not be able to shift quickly enough to survive
biomes
the mayor types of ecosystems that occupy very broad geographic regions
biotic factors
include interactions with other species through predation and herbivory, parasites, pathogens, and competing organisms
abiotic components
the nonliving, chemical, and physical
- ex. temp., water, oxygen, salinity, sunlight, soil
both abiotic and biotic factors influence the reproductive fitness of individuals in a population (T/F)
true
- they are major forces of natural selection
density
number of individuals per unit area or volume
random
there can be clumped, uniform/evenly spaced, and _______ dispersion of species within a population
demography
the study of vital statistics of a population, especially birth, death, and migration rates
survivorship curve
graphic way to show birth and death rates
