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biol272 > week 1-2 > Flashcards

week 1-2 Flashcards

1
Q

what is animal behaviour?

A

Animal behavior is the way in which an animal behaves in response to a particular situation or stimulus, including actions such as foraging, mating, avoiding predators, parental care, migration, problem-solving, and maintaining homeostasis.

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2
Q

What are some examples of behaviours in animals?

A

Examples include foraging (finding food), mating and territoriality (attracting a mate), predator avoidance, parental care, movement and migration, problem-solving, and maintaining homeostasis.

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3
Q

What are proximate explanations in animal behavior?

A

Proximate explanations focus on the mechanisms of behavior, such as genetic, neural, developmental, and hormonal factors that explain how a behavior occurs.

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4
Q

What are ultimate explanations in animal behavior?

A

Ultimate explanations focus on the adaptive and evolutionary reasons for behavior, explaining why a behavior has evolved and how it contributes to survival or reproduction.

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5
Q

What are Niko Tinbergen’s four questions for studying animal behavior?

A

Tinbergen’s four questions are (1) Developmental explanations, (2) Causation explanations, (3) Evolutionary history explanations, and (4) Functional or survival value explanations.

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6
Q

Why is it important to separate proximate and ultimate explanations in animal behavior studies?

A

Each approach answers different levels of analysis: proximate explanations address how a behavior occurs, while ultimate explanations address why it has evolved. Mixing them can lead to incorrect conclusions.

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7
Q

What is a comparative study in animal behavior research?

A

A comparative study examines variation within a species, correlating one behavior with a second variable. For example, comparing predation rates between solitary and colonial terns

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8
Q

What are some pros and cons of comparative studies in behavior research?

A

Pros: Useful first step in examining hypotheses.
Cons: Cannot control for confounding variables, like age or experience of birds.

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9
Q

What is an experimental study in animal behavior research?

A

An experimental study involves control and experimental groups that differ only in one variable, allowing researchers to establish cause and effect more clearly.

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10
Q

What is convergent evolution in animal behavior studies?

A

Convergent evolution occurs when species with different evolutionary histories independently evolve similar traits or behaviors in response to similar environmental pressures.

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11
Q

What are some pros and cons of comparative studies across species?

A

Pros: Helps identify general patterns in behavior.
Cons: Cause and effect may be unclear, and other variables (e.g., body size) may influence results.

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12
Q

Define animal migration.

A

Migration is a persistent, directed movement carried out by an animal, often as a round-trip, between breeding and non-breeding ranges. It is regular and predictable.

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13
Q

What is an example of long-distance migration?

A

The bar-tailed godwit migrates 11,500 km non-stop from Alaska to New Zealand, an eight-day journey from its breeding grounds to warmer, non-breeding areas.

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14
Q

What is altitudinal migration?

A

Altitudinal migration involves moving between different altitudes. An example is the three-wattled bellbird, which migrates to high altitudes for breeding and returns to lower altitudes afterward.

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15
Q

What is partial migration? Give an example.

A

Partial migration is when some individuals in a species migrate, and others do not. In New Zealand, high-country banded dotterels migrate to Australia, while coastal populations remain local.

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16
Q

How was bird banding used to study migration?

A

Bird banding involves attaching a metal ring with a unique identifier to a bird’s leg, allowing researchers to track its migration if it’s later recovered in a different location.

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17
Q

How are isotopes used to track migration?

A

Isotope analysis, such as hydrogen isotope ratios in feathers, can reveal the geographic origin of migratory birds based on local environmental markers absorbed during feather growth.

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18
Q

Describe an example of migration tracked with GPS in New Zealand.

A

Shining cuckoos tagged in Kaikoura, New Zealand, were tracked on a complex migration route from New Zealand to New Britain in the Bismarck Islands.

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19
Q

What is piloting in animal navigation?

A

Piloting is the use of environmental landmarks to navigate, helping animals find their way based on familiar features of their home habitat.

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20
Q

What is path integration, and which animal is known for using it?

A

Path integration is the ability to navigate in a straight line back to the starting point after traveling. The desert ant Cataglyphis fortis uses path integration to return to its colony directly after foraging.

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21
Q

What is an Emlen funnel, and what does it measure?

A

The Emlen funnel is a device used to measure migratory restlessness and orientation in birds, showing which direction they are inclined to travel by recording their inked footprints.

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22
Q

How do celestial cues help migratory birds navigate?

A

Migratory birds use the sun or stars as a compass to navigate, helping them orient themselves during long-distance travel when no landmarks are visible.

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23
Q

How do animals use a magnetic compass for navigation?

A

Animals, particularly birds, sense the Earth’s magnetic field to orient themselves, helping them determine direction even in low-visibility conditions.

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24
Q

How did artificial selection experiments on blackcap warblers support a genetic basis for migration?

A

By selecting for migratory and sedentary traits, Berthold et al. bred blackcaps that displayed either high migratory restlessness or no migratory behavior after a few generations.

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25
Q

What challenges exist in linking specific genes to migratory behavior?

A

Migratory behavior is complex and often controlled by multiple genes, making it difficult to isolate specific genes responsible for migration.

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26
Q

What are some benefits of migration?

A

Migration allows animals to avoid food shortages, exploit seasonal food sources, and escape some parasites and diseases adapted to temperate environments.

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27
Q

What are some costs associated with migration?

A

Migration is energetically costly, increases predation risk in unfamiliar environments, and exposes animals to new diseases and parasites.

28
Q

Why might some animals evolve to become non-migratory in new environments?

A

If the costs of migration outweigh the benefits, such as for the NZ silvereye population that does not migrate due to the vast distance and associated risks, non-migratory behavior may be selected.

29
Q

What is dispersal in animals?

A

Dispersal is the one-way movement of individuals away from their birthplace to a new area where they live and reproduce.

30
Q

List two main costs of dispersal.

A

1) Increased predation risk due to unfamiliarity with the new location, and (2) lack of familiar neighbors or relatives for support and security.

31
Q

What is the inbreeding avoidance hypothesis for dispersal?

A

This hypothesis suggests that dispersal helps reduce the likelihood of mating with relatives, minimizing the risk of inbreeding depression.

32
Q

How does the intraspecific competition hypothesis explain dispersal?

A

It suggests that dispersal reduces competition for resources among relatives or with experienced local animals, enhancing survival and reproductive success.

33
Q

What example supports the intraspecific competition hypothesis?

A

Male yellow-headed blackbirds that leave their original territory eventually achieve higher reproductive success than those that stay, by avoiding local competition.

34
Q

Is animal distribution random across habitats? Why or why not?

A

No, animal distribution is often non-random; animals select habitats based on cues that increase their survival and reproductive success.

35
Q

How does habitat selection influence fitness? Give an example.

A

Choosing suitable habitats increases reproductive success. For example, poplar aphids prefer forming galls at the base of large leaves, where sap is more accessible, maximizing offspring survival.

36
Q

What experiment demonstrated a genetic basis for habitat preference in birds?

A

Blue tits and coal tits raised in the absence of vegetation preferred habitats similar to those used by their species in the wild, indicating an inherited preference.

37
Q

Why might animals prefer certain areas for habitat? List two factors.

A

(1) Absence of competition, allowing species to expand their range, and (2) favorable abiotic factors, such as suitable temperatures.

38
Q

How does competition affect habitat selection?

A

In the absence of competitors, a species’ range can expand into previously excluded areas, suggesting competition can restrict access to suitable habitats.

39
Q

What is “giving up time” in the context of predation risk?

A

Giving up time” is how long an animal will persist in a task, like foraging, which indicates its comfort level in the environment based on perceived predation risk.

40
Q

What does the “ideal free distribution” hypothesis predict about animal habitat selection?

A

Animals will distribute themselves across habitats so that their fitness levels are similar across all habitats, though population density will differ depending on habitat quality.

41
Q

Why is fitness highest in low-density habitats?

A

Low density reduces competition for resources, leading to higher fitness.

42
Q

Under the ideal free distribution, when would animals move from a high-quality habitat to a lower-quality one?

A

Animals will move to a lower-quality habitat if the fitness in the high-quality habitat decreases to match that of the lower-quality one due to increased density.

43
Q

What assumptions are made in the ideal free distribution model?

A

The model assumes animals have perfect knowledge of resources (ideal) and can move freely to any habitat without restriction.

44
Q

Give an example of ideal free distribution in nature.

A

Sticklebacks foraged in patches with food availability corresponding to predictions of ideal free distribution, moving between patches to balance food intake based on density.

45
Q

Define monogamy in animal mating systems.

A

Monogamy is when one male mates with one female, often associated with shared parental care, as seen in species like the NZ robin.

46
Q

Describe polygyny and give an example.

A

Polygyny involves one male mating with multiple females, often with female-biased parental care and intense male competition, such as in red-winged blackbirds.

47
Q

What is polyandry, and in which animals is it observed?

A

Polyandry involves one female mating with multiple males. It’s less common in birds but seen in species like the red phalarope, where males provide more parental care.

48
Q

What is promiscuity in mating systems?

A

Promiscuity is when both males and females have multiple mating partners, as seen in species like dunnocks and Hihi.

49
Q

Why might a monogamous mating system evolve despite potential reproductive advantages in polygyny?

A

Monogamy may arise when resources are dispersed, making it hard for males to defend more than one female, or when female breeding is synchronized, limiting a male to one mate at a time.

50
Q

How does resource distribution affect female and male reproductive success (RS)?

A

Female RS is limited by access to resources, while male RS is limited by access to females. Therefore, mating systems are influenced by the distribution of resources, which affects female location.

51
Q

What mating system is likely when resources are clumped?

A

Polygyny is likely, as a single male can defend a resource-rich territory that attracts multiple females.

52
Q

How does asynchronous female breeding affect mating systems?

A

: In asynchronous breeding, males can mate with multiple females sequentially, often resulting in sequential polygyny.

53
Q

Why might habitat selection not be adaptive in human-altered environments?

A

Animals may not recognize or avoid introduced predators due to lack of evolutionary exposure, as seen with New Zealand skinks that do not avoid shelters scented by mammalian predators.

54
Q

Female-Enforced Monogamy

A

Females physically prevent males from attracting additional mates, as other females’ offspring would compete with hers. When tethered, males successfully attract more females, showing that female enforcement prevents polygyny.

55
Q

Mate-Guarding Monogamy

A

n cases where males have few chances to find another mate, they maximize reproductive success by sticking with one female. Traits like genital breakage or male sacrifice help prevent female re-mating.

56
Q

Male Assistance Hypothesis

A

In species where male care is critical for offspring survival, monogamy ensures male investment in feeding and protecting the young. In birds, monogamy is common as two parents often raise more offspring than one

57
Q

Harem-Defense Polygyny

A

Males defend a group of females directly, as seen in species with high female clumping.

58
Q

Resource-Defense Polygyny

A

Males defend a resource that females need, attracting them indirectly by maintaining a high-quality territory.

59
Q

Scramble-Competition Polygyny

A

Males roam widely, seeking multiple females without defending territory or resources, often because guarding females has a high cost.

60
Q

Lek Polygyny

A

Males display in a designated area (lek) without offering resources. Females visit for mating only, with some males attracting multiple females due to display success.

61
Q

Female Forced or Deceived into Polygyny

A

Females may settle with an already-mated male due to deceptive tactics or limited resources, which forces her into polygyny.

62
Q

Polygyny-Threshold Model

A

A female may prefer a polygynous relationship in a high-quality territory if the benefits of better resources outweigh the costs of sharing a mate.

63
Q

Infanticide to Reduce Cost of Polygyny

A

Secondary females may kill primary females’ eggs, ensuring male parental care for their offspring instead.

64
Q

Sexy-Son Hypothesis

A

Females may accept polygyny if their sons inherit their father’s attractiveness and mating success, theoretically increasing her genetic legacy through her son’s reproductive success.

65
Q

Scramble Competition

A

Occurs when the cost of guarding territory or mates is too high, so males do not defend and instead search for females to mate with and then move on.

66
Q

Lek Mating System

A

Males defend a small, display-only territory in a communal area. Only sperm is provided; females receive no other resources or parental care.

biol272 (6 decks)

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