Brainscape's Knowledge GenomeTM

Browse over 1 million classes created by top students, professors, publishers, and experts.


See full index

Ecology & Evolution Final Exam > Unit IV: Behavioral Ecology > Flashcards

Unit IV: Behavioral Ecology Flashcards

1
Q

Behavioral ecology

A

the study of behavioral adaptation, and the selective pressures that yield them, in different ecological environments

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

Ernest Mayr

A

described two general categories of questions related to biological causation of behaviors

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

What were the two categories of questions by Mayr?

A
  1. Proximate causation (how?)
  2. Ultimate causation (why?)
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

Proximate causation (how?)

A

Understanding external and internal stimuli: responsible for particular behavior/driving the behavior

eg. do _____ make the decision to _____

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

Ultimate causation (why?)

A

Understanding the value of behavior for survival/reproduction (fitness)

eg. how does ______ contribute to fitness

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

What are the categories of behavior?

A
  1. Innate behavior
  2. Learned behavior
  3. Reflex action
  4. Kinesis
  5. taxis
  6. Fixed action pattern
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

Innate behavior

A

instinctual behavior that is not altered by changes in environment typically

  • strong genetic component
  • born with behavior “hard wired” no matter the environment
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

Learned behavior

A

behavior that responds to changes in the environment

  • can still have a genetic component
  • more flexible; can change quickly
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

Reflex action

A

action in response to direct physical stimulation of a nerve (usually innate)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

behavior

A

change in activity of an organism in response to a stimulus

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

ethnology

A

biological study of animal behavior

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

Kinesis

A

undirected movement of an organism in response to a stimulus (e.g. insects move quick in high temps)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

Taxis

A

directed movement in response to a stimulus (e.g. moth to a flame)
- can be negative (away from stimulus) or positive (towards stimulus)
- stimulus can be light, gravity, chemicals

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

Fixed action pattern

A

series of instinctual behaviors that, once initiated, always goes to completion regardless of changes in the environment
- not going to change, behavior will always be the same
- needs specifics (e.g. Stickleback fish attacked red)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q

Migration

A

long-range seasonal movement of animal species
- tied to resource availability or habitat preference (temp)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q

Is Migration innate or learned by its peers?

A

Obligate (done every season) migration is considered innate
- shaped by natural selection

Facultative migration is done only when it is optimal given conditions

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
17
Q

What are the two ways of learning?

A
  1. Non-associative learning
  2. Associative (conditioned) learning
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
18
Q

Non-associative learning

A

the stimulus is not directly associated with punishment or reward

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
19
Q

What are the two types of Non-associative learning?

A
  1. Habituation
  2. Imprinting
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
20
Q

Habituation

A

ability of a species to ignore repeated stimuli that have no consequence
(e.g. pigeons/squirrels in the city)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
21
Q

Imprinting

A

identification of parents by newborns as the first organism they see after birth

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
22
Q

What are the 3 types of Associative (conditioned) learning?

A
  1. Classical conditioning
  2. Operate conditioning
  3. Cognitive learning
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
23
Q

Conditioned behavior (Associative learning)

A

behavior that becomes associated with a specific stimulus through conditioning

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
24
Q

Classical conditioning

A

association of a specific stimulus and response through conditioning

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
25
Q

Operant conditioning

A

learned behaviors in response to positive and/or negative reinforcement (e.g. getting a treat)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
26
Q

Cognitive learning

A

knowledge and skills acquired by the manipulation of information in the mind (e.g. evident in humans and other primates)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
27
Q

Are organism with no cognitive learning able to solve abstract problems?

A

Yes (e.g. rats solving mazes, crows solving multi-step puzzles to get food)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
28
Q

Animal communication

A

process in which a signal from one individual modifies the behavior of a recipient individual

29
Q

Signal

A

method of communication between animals including those obtained by the sense of smell, hearing, sight, or tough

30
Q

What is the criteria for a signal?

A
  • Information-containing behavior or characteristic
  • Evolved at least in part to convey information
31
Q

What is the selection of a type of signal with efficient transmission determined on?

A

the environment and physiology of receiver

32
Q

Courtship display

A

visual display (signal) to attract a mate

33
Q

Aggressive display

A

visual display (signal) by a species member to discourage other members of the same species or different species

34
Q

Distraction display

A

visual display (signal) used to distract predators aways from a nesting site

35
Q

Deceitful communication

A

Signaler is attempting to exploit the receiver

36
Q

What is the reason behind successful deceitful signals?

A

negative frequency dependent: works best when relatively rare in population

37
Q

What occurs when honest signalers are more common?

A
  • Natural selection favors individuals that are rewarded by behaving with “normal” response
  • Deceitful signalers are successful
38
Q

What occurs when deceitful signalers are most common?

A
  • Natural selection favors individuals that are able to detect and avoid/punish cheaters
39
Q

Territoriality

A

when individuals defend an area, usually involving resources

40
Q

Anolis lizards (carolinensis)

A
  • Signal: pattern changing
  • Breeding season: early spring
  • Males: establish and defend territories, display behaviors
  • Females: select among potential mates
  • Information can be sex specific (convey different info to males and females
41
Q

Territory

A

an area that is actively defended and provides exclusive or semi-exclusive use of resource

42
Q

Ritualized, sequential assessment

A

the theme/order of things before a fight or walking away

43
Q

Do displays before fight for territory or walk away tend to be honest signals or deceitful signals of their size and strength?

A

Honest signals, it cannot be fakes
- Favored by selection on receivers

44
Q

Do displays involved a degree of coordination or cooperation between the two or is it instinctual?

A

They involve a degree of coordination/cooperation
- Common interest in obtaining information about each other

45
Q

Is stereotypical behaviors increasing intensity, a predictable or unpredictable sequence?

A

Predictable

46
Q

When do animals not fight over resources or territory?

A

When there are axes of asymmetry between rivals:
- resource holding power (one rival smaller/weaker)
- value of resource (lower for on rival based on etc.)
- ownership (non-owner less motivated to fight)

47
Q

When do rivals fight?

A
  • Rivals are closely matched
  • Stakes are high for both males
  • Ambiguity about the relative status of rivals (usually, one rival is convinced they are bigger than they are)
48
Q

Animal Navigation

A

the ability of animals to accurately find their way to a location without instruments or maps

49
Q

Mechanisms for animal navigation:

A
  1. Piloting
  2. Compass orientation
  3. True navigation
50
Q

Piloting

A

use of familiar landmarks

51
Q

Compass orientation

A

movement that is oriented in a specific direction

52
Q

True navigation

A

ability to locate a specific place on Earth’s surface

53
Q

Proximate causes: how do birds navigate?

A
  1. Visual landmark (coastline, highways, railways, etc.)
  2. Sun compass (circadian clock, but can be altered)
  3. Star compass (using the North star and multiple constellations to navigate, can also be altered)
  4. Geomagnetism (geomagnetic field on cloudy days, have a different view)
54
Q

Circadian clock

A

an internal mechanism that maintains a 24-hour activity rhythm or cycle

55
Q

Altruism

A

behaviors that have a fitness cost to the individual exhibiting the behavior and a fitness benefit to the receiver

56
Q

What are the 3 natural selection ingredients of Altruism?

A
  • Variation: (mutate allele) not everyone behave altruistically
  • Heritability: (genetic component) altruism is inheritable
  • More offspring produced than survive: struggle for existence
57
Q

How is altruism a paradox?

A

traits of individuals with higher relative fitness increase in frequency over generations, so there should be a decrease in altruism, but no

58
Q

Why does altruism still exist if it has low fitness?

A

Kin selection

59
Q

Kin selection

A

selection that acts through benefits to relatives at the expense of the individual

60
Q

Br > C

A

Model for spread of altruistic allele (Hamilton’s Rule):
B= benefit to recipient
r= coefficient of relatedness
C= cost of altruism

61
Q

Coefficient of relatedness

A

measure of genetic relatedness of two individuals

62
Q

Direct fitness

A

derived from generating offspring

63
Q

Since kin share allele, the altruistic individual is receiving benefit how?

A

indirect fitness

64
Q

Indirect fitness

A

Derived from helping relatives produce more offspring than they would on their own

65
Q

Inclusive fitness

A

Inclusive fitness = direct + indirect fitness

66
Q

What do altruistic individuals receives when they help non-kin?

A
  • Delayed direct benefits
  • Reciprocal altruism
67
Q

Delayed direct benefits

A

the production of offspring in the future
(e.g. helping alpha get a mate so you move up the chain when alpha succeeds)

68
Q

Reciprocal altruism

A

when individuals reciprocate altruistic behaviors towards those that have helped them in the past or are likely to do so in the future

69
Q

What are the requirements for Reciprocal altruism?

A
  • Recognize each other
  • Repeated interactions
  • Memory of past interactions

Ecology & Evolution Final Exam (15 decks)

Brainscape helps you reach your goals faster, through stronger study habits.
© 2024 Bold Learning Solutions. Terms and Conditions