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Animal Behavior > Exam I > Flashcards

Exam I Flashcards

1
Q

Ethology

A

the scientific study of animal behavior, especially in the natural context

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2
Q

Tibergen

A

father of modern ethology

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3
Q

Tibergen’s four questions

A

approach the study of behavior by asking four questions

  1. Function - how does the animal’s behavior impact its chances of survival and reproduction
  2. Causation - what are the stimuli that elicit the behavior and how have the physiological models been modified by experience
  3. Development - how does the behavior change with age and what are the critical periods?
  4. Evolutionary History - how does the behavior compare with similar behaviors in related species? how might this behavior have arisen through evolution
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4
Q

John Baptiste Lamark

A

studied fossils, plants, invertebrates

concluded: transmutation of species (species change over time)

Principles:
( 1 ) Use and disuse (used organs grow stronger, disused ones grow weaker)

( 2 ) inheritance of acquired traits (offspring display traits acquired by parents during lifetime)

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5
Q

Charles Darwin

A

father of modern biology

Theory of Natural Selection

first described a biological mechanism to explain speciation and the adaption of traits

first to use a comparative phylogenetic method to study behavior

Alfred Wallace - similar ideas

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6
Q

Gregor Mendel

A

physical traits passed from parent to offspring through genes

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7
Q

Thomas Hunt Morgan

A

studied flies, found that genes were located on chromosomes

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8
Q

von Frisch

A

FOCUS: COOPERATIVE BEHAVIOR AND GROUP LIVING

honey bees dance to communicate foraging site distance/direction

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9
Q

Tinbergen

A

BEHAVIOR IN THE NATURAL WORLD

instinct and learning

sign stimuli: stimulus releases action pattern; input activates a motor program

ex: sticklebacks attack anything red during mating season (color red released attack response)
ex: red herring

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10
Q

Lorenz

A

INSTINCTIVE BEHAVIOR AND FIXED SEQUENCES

instinctive behavior, fixed sequences

imprinting and critical periods

Lorenz found that geese follow the first moving object they see, during a 12-17 hour critical period after hatching.

imprinting: suggests that attachment is innate and programmed genetically

critical period: within 32 hours, it’s unlikely any attachment will ever develop

in order to understand the mechanisms of animal behavior, it was necessary to observe their full range of behaviors in their natural context

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11
Q

Herring gull

A

red spot on parent’s bill –> chick hatches –> parents feed on fish –> chick pecks red spot –> parent regurgitates food

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12
Q

Stickleback fish

A

attack anything red during mating season (color red released attack response)

used when other male sticklebacks that were competing for nesting territory

many false alarms but also relatively few failures to drive off competing male sticklebacks

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13
Q

Stickleback fish

A

sign stimulus: red

attack anything red during mating season (color red released attack response)

used when other male sticklebacks that were competing for nesting territory

many false alarms but also relatively few failures to drive off competing male sticklebacks

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14
Q

Tinbergin’s 4 questions, red herring

chick pecks on red bill

A
  1. Function
    allows chick to get fed –> chick can survive and grow, eventually produce its own young
  2. Causation
    eyes detect yellow bill with red spot –> visual system perceives signal, motor system sends commands to muscles –> muscles move chick to peck red spot
    WHAT ASPECTS TRIGGER RESPONSE? beak shape, spot orientation, color, etc.

head shape, size and color do not matter
cues: (1) color of spot, (2) contrast between spot and bill

  1. Development
    chick performs behavior shortly after hatching, does it before seeing it –> innate
  2. Evolutionary History
    laughing gull: chick opens bill and closes it around parent, parent regurgitates to baby

shared trait suggest behavior was present in a common ancestor but red spot evolved after species diverged

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15
Q

Additional lesson from birds

A

Chick changes behavior after experiencing parent’s response, Behavior can be modified by experience

Example of a behavior resulting from the combination of an instinct to stimulate parent’s bill and learning how to elicit the feeding

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16
Q

sign stimulus

A

sensory cue that triggers the behavior

(red spot on bill)

ex: Red herring
Sign stimulus for chick = red spot on bright billSign stimulus for parent gull = chick’s pecking on bill

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17
Q

social releaser

A

sign stimulus that is emitted and received by the members of the same species

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18
Q

super-normal stimulus

A

an exaggerated sign stimulus

(GIANT red spot on bright bill)

ex: Oystercatchers were willing to roll huge eggs into their nests to incubate

ex:

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19
Q

Black oystercatchers

A

respond more strongly to super-normal stimuli

Oystercatchers were willing to roll huge eggs into their nests to incubate

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20
Q

Cuckoo Chick

A

Cuckoo chick and reed warbler

Parasitic cuckoo chick is preferentially fed by host parent because it is larger, begs more and more loudly for food that the host species chicks

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21
Q

Fixed action pattern (FAP)

A

(FAP) a stereotyped motor response that may be initiated by an environmental stimulus

Chick’s FAP = pecking parent’s bill
Parent’s FAP = regurgitating fish

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22
Q

Sign stimulus –> FAP

A

Sign stimulus: red spot on bill
FAP: peck

Sign stimulus: peck
FAP: regurgitate fish

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23
Q

Greylag goose

A

if an egg becomes displaced from the nest, the greylag rolls it back to the nest with its beak

sight of missing egg = sign stimulus
elicits FAP: egg retrieval

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24
Q

Greylag goose

A

DEMONSTRATES FIXED ACTION PATTERN

if an egg becomes displaced from the nest, the greylag rolls it back to the nest with its beak

sight of missing egg = sign stimulus
elicits FAP: egg retrieval

If the egg is removed from the goose during the performance of egg-rolling, the bird often continues with the behavior, pulling its head back as if an imaginary egg is still being maneuvered by the underside of its beak.[4] The greylag will also attempt to retrieve other egg-shaped objects, such as a golf ball, door knob, or even a model egg too large to have possibly been laid by the goose itself

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25
Q

Chain of reactions

A

sequences of sign stimuli and FAPs between individuals

ex: mating rituals
ex: stickleback fish

male sees female (ss)
performs zig-zag dance (fap)

female watches male dance (ss)
female displays swollen belly (fap)

male sees swollen belly (ss)
male leads female to nest and prods her into lay egging station (fap) –> female lays eggs

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26
Q

Homology

A

the evolution of traits that differ but still have similar basic structure due to common ancestral origin

ex: vertebrate limb

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27
Q

Analogy

A

evolution of similar traits due to similar environmental pressures rather than common ancestor

ex: flying mammals – sugar gliders and flying squirrels

(Natural selection independently adapted both lineages for similar lifestyles: leaping from treetops (hence, the gliding “wings”) and foraging at night (hence, the big eyes)

ex: eye organization (vertebrate and cephaloid)

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28
Q

Scientific Method

A
  1. Observe and describe (qualitative stage, what and why)
  2. Hypothesis (forming an educated guess)
  3. Prediction (IF…THEN)
  4. Test Experiment (quantitative stage)
  5. Drawing conclusions
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29
Q

Scientific Method (A/B)

A
  1. OBSERVE Variables A and B are changing
  2. HYPOTHESIZE Changes in variable A are resulting in changes in variable B
  3. PREDICT If A increases, then B will increase
  4. TEST Measure B, increase A, measure B again
  5. Drawing conclusions
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30
Q

Independent, Dependent Variables

A

Independent: what you manipulate
Dependent variable: change caused, dependent on independent variable

If I add fertilizer to plant W and none to V, then W will grow faster.

fertilizer: independent variable
growth rate: dependent variable

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31
Q

Null hypothesis

A

no effect of manipulation

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32
Q

Drawing conclusions based on

A

magnitude of difference
variability of values
sample size

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33
Q

p-value

A

Statistical tests of differences between groups give a P-value

P value: likelihood that the observed difference is due to chance

convention = P<0.05

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34
Q

After conclusions drawn

A

Repeat and continue getting same results
Repeated by different scientists
Establish a consensus that is widely accepted

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35
Q

Theory

A

a scheme that offers a broad, fundamental explanation of many observations

based on all tested hypotheses

deals with HOW or WHY something happened, not just an idea

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36
Q

Law

A

empirical statement that summarizes known relationships

states THAT something happened

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37
Q

Francis Bacon

A

inductive reasoning

  1. Begin with observations of nature
  2. Goal is to find true statements about how nature works
  3. If nature conflicts with the idea, then the idea must be changed or abandoned
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38
Q

Science is a process

A

theories are based on consensus built among scientists

continuous refinement of understanding rather than definitive proof

don’t assume absolute knowledge, there will always be uncertainty

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39
Q

2 types of experiments

A
  1. Planned experiment
    - IV manipulated by scientist, DV is measured
  2. Natural experiment
    - IV occurs naturally, DV measured
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40
Q

Tephritid experiment

A

fly mimicking spider

Wing markings and wave display likely mimic jumping spider displays and reduce predation by jumping spiders

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41
Q

Finches (natural)

A

drought

  1. Drought resulted in many large, hard seeds, few small soft seeds
  2. Smaller beaks cannot crack large seeds
  3. Birds with deeper beaks more likely to survive and reproduce
  4. Deeper beaks become more common in the populatio

Effect on beak depth in offspring of surviving medium ground finch

Mean beak size eventually returned to original

–> Natural selection favors beak characteristics that allow exploitation of available food type

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42
Q

Kroodsma paper

A

psuedoreplication

using inferential statistics to test treatment effects with data from experiments where treatments are not replicated or replicates are not statistically independent

If we test the difference in birds’ responses to song A and song B, can we generalize the results to all songs from category A and category B?

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43
Q

Evidence for natural selection

A
  1. Domesticated animals change through natural selection
    • species change over time, many descendants from single ancestor are possible, selection leads to evolution
  2. Existence of fossils
    • show organisms similar but not same as previous species
  3. Species change through time
    - extinction
    - law of succession: fossil species in a given area are replaced by a similar living species
    - transitional forms: some fossils show intermediate characteristics between living taxa
    - vestigial structures:
  4. Molecular homology
    - closely related animals contain similar DNA sequences
    - By analyzing the protein structure of complex molecules, relatedness of animals can be estimated
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44
Q

Similarities for natural/artificial selection

Differences for it

A

variation in populations
some of the variation is heritable
different variants produce different numbers of offspring

difference: agents of selection

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45
Q

Law of succession

A

fossil species in a given area are replaced by a similar living species

46
Q

Transitional forms

A

some fossils show intermediate characteristics between living taxa

Archaeopteryx (150 mya)

Reptile-like traits: claws, sharp teeth, long tail

Bird-like traits: feathers, wings, big toe

47
Q

Vestigial structures

A

structures/organs that appear to have no function but do have a function in closely related organisms - function can change faster than structure

goosebumps
pelvis in whale

48
Q

Bar headed goose

A

Migrates over Mt. Everest

Increased oxygen affinity in blood

49
Q

PHILOGENETIC TREE

A
50
Q

Before Darwin

A

Theory of “Great Chain of Being” - God created infinite and continuous series of life forms

  1. created independently
  2. do not change over time
  3. created recently, at virtually the same time
  4. mechanism: created by supernatural force
51
Q

Carolus Linnaeus

A

First to organize species into a taxonomy

Created the system of binomial nomenclature for naming organisms (genus, species)

but still believed in Special Creation

52
Q

Taxonomy

A

a classification of living things, usually hierarchical

53
Q

Lamarck

A

CONCEPT OF EVOLUTION

theory of use and disuse

evolution occurs by phenotypic adaptation and passing that adaptation on to offspring

the inheritance of acquired traits

giraffe example

54
Q

Theory of common descent

A

Allspecies descended from one or a few original species = ‘Descent with modification’

through natural selection

55
Q

4 postulates for the logic of Darwin’s theory

A
  1. variation exists
  2. heritability
  3. struggle for survival (reproductive potential and survival rates)
  4. Survival and reproduction are not random (favorable traits persist – AKA natural selection!)
56
Q

Adaptive trait

A

increases the ability of an individual to survive and reproduce relative to individuals without that trait

57
Q

Lifetime Reproductive Success

A

heritable traits that lead to the production of the most offspring will become more common over time

58
Q

What is natural selection contingent upon

A

Natural selection will lead to evolutionary change only if the phenotypic differences are due to genotypic differences

59
Q

Genotype v. phenotype

A

Phenotype: physical and behavioral traits
Genotype:“blueprint” - genetic instructions present in an organism

60
Q

Natural selection v. evolution

A

Natural Selection acts on individuals

Evolution occurs in populations

61
Q

Darwin’s success was related to

A

Studying the literature
Independence of thought/don’t just believe it
Patience and focus - time spent observing and carefully documenting - attention to detail
Recognizing the inter-relatedness of behavior, environment and social interaction
Ingenious tools/methods

62
Q

Homologous traits

A

traits that are similar to one another due to shared ancestry

ex: common structure of the vertebrate limb

divergent evolution from same origin

63
Q

Analogous

A

not related, similar traits due to similar environmental pressures

ex: sugar glider and flying squirrel
ex: vertebrate eye and cephlapod eye

convergent evolution from different origins

64
Q

Behavior causes

A

ultimate cause: why a behavior exists
(1.function, 4.evolutionary history)

proximate cause: how a behavior is implemented and controlled
(2.causation, 3.development)

65
Q

Singing behavior

A

combination of innate and learned traits

66
Q

Why do birds sing

A

attract females
compete with males
- Remove birds from territory. Play song / measure # territory invasions
reproductive success

67
Q

Song learning

A

sing to baby, learns it
female listens to know what to look for

Juveniles preferentially learn conspecific song
But will learn another species’ song

68
Q

Brain of songbird

A

HVC is the higher vocal center. It is a bird’s brain center for learning and production of song

LMAN is the lateral magnocellular nucleus that is involved in learning new sounds or words.

RA is the robust nucleus, somewhat similar to the human cortex.

Area X in the bird’s striatum. The striatum is the center of motor learning, also called habit learning. This is region with the most genes.

69
Q

Sex differences in songbird brain

A

RA bias toward males (bigger)

70
Q

3 clades of songbirds

A

parrots
hummingbird
songbird

71
Q

nature v. nurture

A

behaviors develop guided by genetic predispositions and experience

72
Q

How a behavior evolved is reconstructed using

A 
trait similarities
mechanism similarities (sensory structures, brain, muscles)
phylogenetic relationships (relatedness)
73
Q

Brain systems song birds

A

!!!

74
Q

Evolutionary history, relatedness of songbirds

A

!!!
vocal learning may have evolved 3 times
Or, evolved once in a common ancestor, then was lost in 6 times
Or, evolved once in a common ancestor, then was lost in 8 timesOr, evolved 2 times and was lost once

75
Q

Developmental switch mechanism

A

fish

76
Q

Stages of behavior

A

bee

MORE

Each caste has separate jobs
Determination of type depends on genotype and chemical signal

worker: f, raises pupae, maintains/builds hive, forages/collects food, regulate hive temp, makes the honey, guards the hive
drone: impregnates female, dies
queen: breeds, lays eggs, emits pheromones

77
Q

Developmental switch mechanism

A

Physiological mechanisms that cause the development of alternative phenotypes in response to environmental cues

78
Q

polyphenism

A

Polyphenism – ability of a genome to develop dramatically different phenotypes

79
Q

Classical conditioning

A

training a response to a neutral stimulus by associating the neutral stimulus with the meaningful stimulus

Based on involuntary behavior

US, UR, CS, CR

US – food
UR - salivate
CS – sound
CR - salivate

80
Q

Operant conditioning principles

A

Operant Conditioning – training/shaping behavior by means of reinforcement and punishment

positive, negative
reinforcement, punishment

Based on voluntary behavior

  1. Behavior that is positively reinforced will recur; intermittent reinforcement is particularly effective.
  2. Information should be presented in small amounts so that responses can be reinforced (shaping).
  3. Reinforcements will generalize across similar stimuli (stimulus generalization) producing secondary conditioning
81
Q

Bright Noisy Water experiment

A

Pairing sweet water with nausea results in learning to avoid water

Pairing bright light or loud noise with shock results in avoidance learning

Pairing sweet waterwith shock DOES NOTresult in avoidance

Pairing sound with nausea DOES NOT result in avoidance

WHY? Learning depends on the life history and therefore the physiology of the species

82
Q

derived trait

A

Derived Trait: arisen relatively recently - define evolutionary relationships better than ancestral traits because they are not shared by all taxa
e.g. feathers on legs

83
Q

ancestral trait

A

Ancestral Trait: present for a long time and is shared by many species - limited in helping map phylogeny of related species
e.g. wings on birds

84
Q

Adaptive radiation

A

the diversification of a group of organisms into forms filling different ecological niches.

  1. one ancestor
  2. diverge in different environements
  3. sympatric when they exist in the same geographic area and thus frequently encounter one another
85
Q

Speciation

A

the formation of new and distinct species in the course of evolution

86
Q

spectrogram, oscillogram

A

Spectrogram: time and pitch (frequency)

Oscilligram — amplitiude (volume) and time

87
Q

Parts of scientific paper

A

AIM RD

Abstract - summary and key questions
Intro - literature review
Methods - experimental design and techniques
Results - quantitative report on findings
Discussion

88
Q

Bacon’s basic tenants

A

inductive reasoning

Basic tenets:

  1. Begin with observations of nature
  2. The goal is to find statements that are true about how nature works (theories or laws).
  3. If nature conflicts with the idea, then the idea must be changed or abandoned.
89
Q

Innate releasing mechanism

A

Fixed action patterns, or similar behaviour sequences, are produced by a neural network known as the innate releasing mechanism in response to an external sensory stimulus known as a sign stimulus or releaser.

90
Q

Null hypothesis

A

no relationship between two measured phenomena

91
Q

hypthothesis

A

HYPOTHESIZE Changes in variable A are resulting in changes in variable B
forming an educated guess

92
Q

Special creation

A

the universe and all life in it originated in its present form by unconditional fiat or divine decree

93
Q

taxonomy

A

the branch of science concerned with classification, especially of organisms; systematic
Linnaeus

94
Q

heritability

A

the proportion of phenotypic variance attributable to genetic variance

95
Q

Extinct

A

no longer living

96
Q

Extant

A

living, still in existence

97
Q

Transitional forms

A

any fossilized remains of a life form that exhibits traits common to both an ancestral group and its derived descendant group

98
Q

Phylogeny

A

the study of the evolutionary history and relationships among individuals or groups of organisms

99
Q

cladogram

A

Draw

100
Q

Archeopteryx

A

example of transitional form

Archaeopteryx (150 mya)

Reptile-like traits: claws, sharp teeth, long tail

Bird-like traits: feathers, wings, big toe

101
Q

Basilosaurus

A

initially believed to be some sort of reptile, hence the suffix -saurus, but it was later found to be a marine mammal

hind limbs

102
Q

Molecular homology

A

comparison of amino acid sequence to show relationship relatedness

103
Q

mutation

A

change in an organism’s DNA

104
Q

gene flow

A

migration/gene flow,

105
Q

Polyphenisms

A

multiple, discrete phenotypes can arise from a single genotype as a result of differing environmental conditions. It is therefore a special case of phenotypic plasticity.

A series of polyphenisms determines whether larvae develop into queens, workers, or drones

106
Q

Parallel evolution

A

similar environmental pressure, two species develop in similar ways

107
Q

types of evolution

A

convergent
divergent
parallel

108
Q

cladogram

A

Sister taxa
Node
Branch
Root

109
Q

Philip Gingerich

A

whale evolution

Wales and dolphins = mammals who live in the water

Back of skull, ear region of whale
Similar to wolf skull
Claim: whales evolved from land mammals

Transitional forms
Basilasourus had pelvis, knee cap, toes — complete set of leg bones
Whales had once been 4-legged animals
Scinonxyx

110
Q

Walcott

A

found a wealth of Cambrian fossils in the Rocky Mountains

111
Q

Gardner

A

?

112
Q

Adaption

A

reproductively advantageous

Animal Behavior (3 decks)

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