animal behaviour - bio Flashcards
(15 cards)
how many motor neurons does each involve:
simple vs complex reflex
simple: none, involves directly connected sensory and motor neuron
complex: A reflex that uses interneurons and typically involves both the brain and spinal cord
what is a fixed action pattern
like a reflex, it is automatically triggered and NOT learned behaviour
- initiated by a specific ‘sign stimulus’ (aka releaser)
- once initiated, almost always carried out to completion
- exhibited by all members of the species
eg egg rolling in graylag geese, defending territory against any object with a red underside for male stickleback fish, spider webs
imprinting with graylag gooses
will imprint on any moving object (usually their mother) during first day of life
salmon imprinting
salmons imprint on odors associated with their birthplace
salmon will migrate to the ocean for most of their lives, but always return to their birthplace to breed based on the imprinted odors
what is spontaneous recovery?
when a stimulus that was habituated is removed, the response can recover over time (learning is not erased rather suppressed)
sensitization
an increased response to repeated stimulus
(opposite of habituation)
eg if the tail of a sea slug is exposed to a light shock, it withdraws its tail. if you shock it again, it pulls its tail back even further than before (a more heightened response)
what are releaser pheromones vs primer pheromones
releaser pheromones: trigger immediate behavioural changes
primer pheromones: cause long term physiological changes
- eg In termite colonies, the queen releases pheromones that affect the biological development of various castes (like workers, soldiers, or reproductives), among other termites
What is kinesis?
a non-directional movement of an organism in response to a stimulus
- change in RATE of movement
- (slows down in favourable conditions, speeds up in unfavourable conditions)
What is taxis?
A directional movment in response to a stimulus
- involves a change in DIRECTION
when the movement is towards the stimulus = positive taxis
away from stimulus = negative taxis
phototaxis (response to light), chemotaxis (chemicals), geotaxis (response to gravity), etc..
what is an altruistic behaviour? what are the 3 concepts that help explain doing this?
an action by an animal that benefits another individual at the cost of putting itself at risk
- inclusive fitness
- a combination of direct fitness (an individuals own reproductive success) and indirect fitness (reproductive success of relatives)
- is beneficial to increase inclusive fitness because relatives share many of the same genes, therfore an individual can still contribute to greater genetic representation in the population - kin selection
- form of natural selection where individuals are more likely to help close relatives
- weakens with hereditary distance (eg cousin has weaker connection than sibling - reciprocal altruism
- unreleated members of the same species help each other
- expectation that they will receive help in a later point in time –> “reciprocal”
polygyny vs polyandry
both types of polygamy
polygyny: one male mates with many females
polyandry: one female mates with many males
semelparity vs iteroparity
both reproductive strategies
semelparity is when an animal only reproduces once before death
- because of this, they typically have a large number of offspring
- eg pacific salmon who lay a bunch of eggs
iteroparity is when an animal reproduces multiple times over the course of its lifetime
- fewer offspring
- most mammals
- more common when theres a more guaranteed lifespan/safety
foraging behaviour
includes how animals search for, recognize, and capture food
goal is to increase the amount of food obtained while decreasing the energy spent and risks
what is concealment and what are the reasons its beneficial?
- animals protecting themselves by being in large groups, allows them to blend in and confuse predators, improving their chance of long term survival to produce more offspring
strategies:
1. group size (being in a large group “confuses” predator, makes targeting any one of them more difficult)
2. dilution effect (in a big group, your individual risk of being targeted is lower; “diluted” risk)
3. confusing visual signals
collective vigilance
- collective vigilance is a behavioural adaptation in which animals take turn monitoring heir surroundings while others forage
- helps detect threats earlier, providing more time
