Ap Biology Chapter 51 Study Guide
AP Biology Name:
Chapter 51 Guided Reading
1. How do behavioral ecologists define behavior?
Behavioral ecologists define behavior as everything an animal does and how it does it
2. What is the focus of:
a. Proximate questions of behavior?
Focuses on the environmental stimuli, if any, that trigger a particular behavioral act, as well as the genetic, physiological, and anatomical mechanisms underlying it.
b. Ultimate questions of behavior?
Focuses on the evolutionary significance of a behavioral act.
3. Define the following terms:
a. Ethology- the study of animal behavior in natural conditions
b. Fixed action pattern- (FAP) a sequence of unlearned behavioral acts that is essentially unchangeable and usually carried …show more content…
to completion and initiated - example: goose will continue to roll an egg back to its nest even after the egg is take from it.
c. Sign stimulus-an external sensory stimulus that triggers a FAP. For example, if a golf ball were placed in front of the goose, it would still roll it under because have a round object in front of it acts as a stimulus
d. Imprinting- a type of learned behavior with a significant innate component, acquired during a limited critical period; generally irreversible. For example, when ducklings follow a human because the human image as their mother was imprinted in them at an early age.
e. Sensitive period- a limited phase in an animal's development that is the only time when certain behaviors can be learned
f. Innate behavior-behavior that is developmentally fixed and under strong genetic control
4. Compare and contrast and give specific examples of kinesis and taxis.
Kinesis is a simple change in activity or turning rate in response to a stimulus. For example, sow bugs survive best in moist environments because they exhibit a kinesis in response to variation in humidity. In contrast to a kinesis, a taxis is a more or less automatic, oriented movement toward or away from some stimulus. An example of a taxis would be that many stream fish exhibit positive rheotaxis; they automatically swim or orient themselves in an upstream direction.
5. What is the relationship between migration and genetic control?
They are related because the migration of a species causes them to spread their gene, which then caused genetic drift. Species may move due to their surroundings. If the environment isn’t able to support the species, they will often find one that can. In their search for this new environment, the species will also spread their genes with others.
6. How are the terms signal and communication related?
A signal is a behavior that causes a change in another animal’s behavior. The transmission of, reception of, and response to signals constitute animal communication, an essential element of interactions between individuals.
7. Describe and give three different examples of animal signals and communication.
1. Most terrestrial mammals are nocturnal, so they use olfactory and auditory signals (smell and sound) to signal each other, because these work best in the dark. Olfactory signals rely greatly on pheromones, which are odors that emit chemical substances from an animal.
2. Birds, however, are diurnal, and communicate by visual and auditory signals. Birds use songs as their main type of communication.
3. Humans are also diurnal and find it easiest to communicate via auditory and visual signals.
8. What evidence is there that mating and parental behavior can be under genetic influence?
An organism called the prairie vole has unique mating behavior, in which it is monogamous and also helps the female with their offspring and cares for them. These traits are very rare among male terrestrial mammals. Research showed that during mating, a neuro-transmitter called V1a is distributed greatly, which probably controls their mating behavior. To test this, scientists inserted the prairie vole V1a into lab mice. After being injected with this, the mice started to show brain activity concerning the V1a very similar to that on the prairie vole and similar mating habits, as opposed to wild mice, which showed none of the same characteristics.
9. Define the following terms:
a. Learning-the modification of behavior based on specific experiences
b. Habituation- the loss of responsiveness to stimuli that convey little or no information
c. Spatial learning- the modification of behavior based on experience with the spatial structure of the environment, including the locations of nest sites, hazards, food, and prospective mates
d. Cognitive map- an internal representation, or code, of the spatial relationships between objects in an animal's surroundings
e. Associative learning- the ability of many animals to associate one feature of the environment with another
f. Classical conditioning- an arbitrary stimulus is associated with a reward, or punishment
g. Operant conditioning- trial-error learning, animals learns to associate one of its own behaviors with a reward, or a punishment and then tends to repeat or avoid that behavior
10. Describe the classic experiment done by Tinbergen dealing with wasps. Why was this experiment considered important?
In the experiment Tinbergen used pinecones to landmark a wasp’s nest. Then he moved the pinecones to see if the wasp used them as a landmark to find the nest. When the wasp couldn’t find the nest after the cones were moved, it proved that animals use landmarks to find their homes. (it also showed that even simple brains were wired to "learn" as opposed to just following a chemical trail)
11. Specifically, describe what cognitive ethology studies.
Cognitive ethology studies the connection between nervous systems and a creature's behavior. Cognitive ethology studies the potential for animals to solve problems
12.
Look up the definition of natural selection or review briefly the first chapter pages 15 – 18. Using this framework proved two different examples of the relationship between behavioral trait and natural selection. Why does this relationship “make sense”?
A trait of fish is to swim in schools because they have a smaller chance of being eaten since they look bigger. Most Wolves hunt in packs because it is much more efficient and you have others to back you up.
13. The statement can be made that “there are risks and benefits” to everything.” How does this relate to the optimal foraging theory?
The theory states that natural selection will favor animals that have developed foraging methods that use less energy and are at less of a risk of being killed while obtaining the food. This theory wants the risk of being killed to be small as possible and the benefits to be as large as possible.
14. What is generally the most important factor in the evolution of mating systems and why does this “make sense’?
The most important factor in the evolution of mating systems is the survival of offspring. This “makes sense” because the mating systems that worked (produced offspring), are going to be repeated in the succeeding generation. If a mating system is unproductive, their will be no offspring to continue doing
it.
15. What is agonistic behavior?
Agonistic behavior is behavior of an organisms that allows it to gain access to a resource (food, territory, mate). Organisms will display this behavior, and the most dominant will gain access to the resources. For example, male peacocks have large, colorful tails that they display to attract mates. The most noticeable peacock is likely to be chosen for mating.
16. How does game theory relate to animal behavior?
The game theory says that organisms' lives are much like a game: the organism with the best situation for reproduction wins. At a basic level, this “situation” includes access to food, water, and mates. Darwin observed finches in the Galapagos that fed on different foods. Because there were too many finches to eat just one type of food, those birds that were able to vary their diets did so. By changing the things they ate, they improved their likelihood of reproducing.
17. Define the following terms:
a. Altruism- Behavior that appears to reduces an individual’s fitness while increasing the fitness of another individual.
b. Inclusive fitness- the number of offspring it has, how they support them, and how their offspring could support others.
c. Coefficient of relatedness- a measure for the level of consanguinity between two given individuals.
d. Kin selection- the evolutionary strategy that favours the reproductive success of an organism's relatives, even at a cost to the organism's own survival and reproduction.
18. Is reciprocal altruism common in animals? Why or why not?
Reciprocal altruism is not common in animals. In order for reciprocal altruism to work two individuals must interact with each other more than once, and also be able to recognize each other. This requires small stable groups of animals that are in constant interaction with each other. This does not occur with animals because most animals are not stable. They are constantly looking for food and trying to survive, with no ability to spare what they have.
19. What is the relationship between social learning and culture?
Social learning forms the roots of culture. Social learning is learning through observing others. Culture is using social learning to transfer information from the old to the young. Basically culture is when the young learn certain behaviors from the older more experienced individuals by observation.
Chapter 51 Guided Reading
1. How do behavioral ecologists define behavior?
Behavioral ecologists define behavior as everything an animal does and how it does it
2. What is the focus of:
a. Proximate questions of behavior?
Focuses on the environmental stimuli, if any, that trigger a particular behavioral act, as well as the genetic, physiological, and anatomical mechanisms underlying it.
b. Ultimate questions of behavior?
Focuses on the evolutionary significance of a behavioral act.
3. Define the following terms:
a. Ethology- the study of animal behavior in natural conditions
b. Fixed action pattern- (FAP) a sequence of unlearned behavioral acts that is essentially unchangeable and usually carried …show more content…
to completion and initiated - example: goose will continue to roll an egg back to its nest even after the egg is take from it.
c. Sign stimulus-an external sensory stimulus that triggers a FAP. For example, if a golf ball were placed in front of the goose, it would still roll it under because have a round object in front of it acts as a stimulus
d. Imprinting- a type of learned behavior with a significant innate component, acquired during a limited critical period; generally irreversible. For example, when ducklings follow a human because the human image as their mother was imprinted in them at an early age.
e. Sensitive period- a limited phase in an animal's development that is the only time when certain behaviors can be learned
f. Innate behavior-behavior that is developmentally fixed and under strong genetic control
4. Compare and contrast and give specific examples of kinesis and taxis.
Kinesis is a simple change in activity or turning rate in response to a stimulus. For example, sow bugs survive best in moist environments because they exhibit a kinesis in response to variation in humidity. In contrast to a kinesis, a taxis is a more or less automatic, oriented movement toward or away from some stimulus. An example of a taxis would be that many stream fish exhibit positive rheotaxis; they automatically swim or orient themselves in an upstream direction.
5. What is the relationship between migration and genetic control?
They are related because the migration of a species causes them to spread their gene, which then caused genetic drift. Species may move due to their surroundings. If the environment isn’t able to support the species, they will often find one that can. In their search for this new environment, the species will also spread their genes with others.
6. How are the terms signal and communication related?
A signal is a behavior that causes a change in another animal’s behavior. The transmission of, reception of, and response to signals constitute animal communication, an essential element of interactions between individuals.
7. Describe and give three different examples of animal signals and communication.
1. Most terrestrial mammals are nocturnal, so they use olfactory and auditory signals (smell and sound) to signal each other, because these work best in the dark. Olfactory signals rely greatly on pheromones, which are odors that emit chemical substances from an animal.
2. Birds, however, are diurnal, and communicate by visual and auditory signals. Birds use songs as their main type of communication.
3. Humans are also diurnal and find it easiest to communicate via auditory and visual signals.
8. What evidence is there that mating and parental behavior can be under genetic influence?
An organism called the prairie vole has unique mating behavior, in which it is monogamous and also helps the female with their offspring and cares for them. These traits are very rare among male terrestrial mammals. Research showed that during mating, a neuro-transmitter called V1a is distributed greatly, which probably controls their mating behavior. To test this, scientists inserted the prairie vole V1a into lab mice. After being injected with this, the mice started to show brain activity concerning the V1a very similar to that on the prairie vole and similar mating habits, as opposed to wild mice, which showed none of the same characteristics.
9. Define the following terms:
a. Learning-the modification of behavior based on specific experiences
b. Habituation- the loss of responsiveness to stimuli that convey little or no information
c. Spatial learning- the modification of behavior based on experience with the spatial structure of the environment, including the locations of nest sites, hazards, food, and prospective mates
d. Cognitive map- an internal representation, or code, of the spatial relationships between objects in an animal's surroundings
e. Associative learning- the ability of many animals to associate one feature of the environment with another
f. Classical conditioning- an arbitrary stimulus is associated with a reward, or punishment
g. Operant conditioning- trial-error learning, animals learns to associate one of its own behaviors with a reward, or a punishment and then tends to repeat or avoid that behavior
10. Describe the classic experiment done by Tinbergen dealing with wasps. Why was this experiment considered important?
In the experiment Tinbergen used pinecones to landmark a wasp’s nest. Then he moved the pinecones to see if the wasp used them as a landmark to find the nest. When the wasp couldn’t find the nest after the cones were moved, it proved that animals use landmarks to find their homes. (it also showed that even simple brains were wired to "learn" as opposed to just following a chemical trail)
11. Specifically, describe what cognitive ethology studies.
Cognitive ethology studies the connection between nervous systems and a creature's behavior. Cognitive ethology studies the potential for animals to solve problems
12.
Look up the definition of natural selection or review briefly the first chapter pages 15 – 18. Using this framework proved two different examples of the relationship between behavioral trait and natural selection. Why does this relationship “make sense”?
A trait of fish is to swim in schools because they have a smaller chance of being eaten since they look bigger. Most Wolves hunt in packs because it is much more efficient and you have others to back you up.
13. The statement can be made that “there are risks and benefits” to everything.” How does this relate to the optimal foraging theory?
The theory states that natural selection will favor animals that have developed foraging methods that use less energy and are at less of a risk of being killed while obtaining the food. This theory wants the risk of being killed to be small as possible and the benefits to be as large as possible.
14. What is generally the most important factor in the evolution of mating systems and why does this “make sense’?
The most important factor in the evolution of mating systems is the survival of offspring. This “makes sense” because the mating systems that worked (produced offspring), are going to be repeated in the succeeding generation. If a mating system is unproductive, their will be no offspring to continue doing
it.
15. What is agonistic behavior?
Agonistic behavior is behavior of an organisms that allows it to gain access to a resource (food, territory, mate). Organisms will display this behavior, and the most dominant will gain access to the resources. For example, male peacocks have large, colorful tails that they display to attract mates. The most noticeable peacock is likely to be chosen for mating.
16. How does game theory relate to animal behavior?
The game theory says that organisms' lives are much like a game: the organism with the best situation for reproduction wins. At a basic level, this “situation” includes access to food, water, and mates. Darwin observed finches in the Galapagos that fed on different foods. Because there were too many finches to eat just one type of food, those birds that were able to vary their diets did so. By changing the things they ate, they improved their likelihood of reproducing.
17. Define the following terms:
a. Altruism- Behavior that appears to reduces an individual’s fitness while increasing the fitness of another individual.
b. Inclusive fitness- the number of offspring it has, how they support them, and how their offspring could support others.
c. Coefficient of relatedness- a measure for the level of consanguinity between two given individuals.
d. Kin selection- the evolutionary strategy that favours the reproductive success of an organism's relatives, even at a cost to the organism's own survival and reproduction.
18. Is reciprocal altruism common in animals? Why or why not?
Reciprocal altruism is not common in animals. In order for reciprocal altruism to work two individuals must interact with each other more than once, and also be able to recognize each other. This requires small stable groups of animals that are in constant interaction with each other. This does not occur with animals because most animals are not stable. They are constantly looking for food and trying to survive, with no ability to spare what they have.
19. What is the relationship between social learning and culture?
Social learning forms the roots of culture. Social learning is learning through observing others. Culture is using social learning to transfer information from the old to the young. Basically culture is when the young learn certain behaviors from the older more experienced individuals by observation.