Lec 38 Flashcards
(34 cards)
What is behavioural ecology?
It is a science studying animal behaviour and how it is controlled by { development, evolution ,survival, reproductive success of a specific species }
for example cranes fly every spring thousands of kilometres from wintering ground in North Africa and North America to further northern nesting grounds, they stop periodically to — and — and they call as they fly .
rest , feed
behavioural ecology is essential to solving ?
critical important problems ranging from the conservation of endangered species to the control of emerging infectious diseases.
Two types of questions/answers are central to the study of behaviour:
1- mechanistic 2- survival value
mechanistic questions are answered by ?
describing how an animal is biologically organised and equipped to carry out behaviour
survival value questions are answered by ?
describing how their behaviour helps an animal exploit resources avoid predators or secure mate
- both types of questions are grounded in recognition that —— in relation to environmental stimuli has at least a partial —— basis
- experiments with some snakes : There are two different populations ,The first population is aquatic and feed mainly on underwater frogs and fish. Second population involves coastal snakes which live on land and eat slugs. The aquatic snakes refused to eat slugs , hybirds show overall —— incidents of slug acceptance
- coastal snakes have —— on the roof of the mouth. They use tongue flakes to recognise their prey
- similar studies on human twins showed that behaviour is inherited , human twins have been separated at birth and raised under different environmental conditions have shown —— food preferences and activity pattern.
behaviour , genetic
intermediate
odor receptor
similar
Some behaviour seem to be stereotyped / formed :
They are always performed the same way each time
fixed action patterns FAP :
are thought originally to be elected as a response to a sign stimulus
investigators believe now that many behaviours thought to be FAPs actually develop after practice ( ——— )
learning phenomenon
associative learning :
A change in behaviour that involves an association between two events
example birds that get sick from eating a monarch butterfly no longer pray on monarch butterflies even if available
an organism can be —— to associate a response to a ——
trained , stimulus
classical conditioning :
the paired presentation of two different types of stimuli at the same time to an animal causing him to form an association between them
unconditioned responses occur
naturally
conditioned responses are
learned
Operant conditioning :
A stimulus response connection is strengthened.
Ivan pavlov discovered —— by performing an experiment with Dogs
classical conditioning
It is helpful to give an animal an award when teaching it a trick , reward is —— immediate
not necessarily
The Raggiana bird of paradise is remarkably dimorphic :
It was found that the females will choose males with ——
The males are larger than females and have beautiful orange flank plumes
longer tails
Sexual selection:
Changes in females & males caused by mate choice & competition for mates
Evolution by sexual selection can occur when females have —— to —— among potential mates or when males —— among themselves for access to reproductive females .
opportunity , select
compete
Animals exhibit many degrees of
Sociality
Communication
An action by sender that influences the behaviour of a receiver
Auditory communication
is an effective and fast form of communication. It can be modified by loudness pattern duration and repetition
