Animal Behavior and Ecology Quiz

An external signal that causes a response in an organism. For example, the smell of food could trigger a foraging response.

Growth towards (positive) or away from (negative) a stimulus. Example: plants bending towards the sun.

A directed movement of an animal towards or away from a stimulus. Example: moths flying towards a light.

Random movement in response to an external stimulus. Example: cockroaches scattering when a light is turned on.

Behaviors that benefit the survival and reproductive success of a group. For example, animals working together to hunt or raise young.

Innate behaviors are controlled by genes and happen without prior learning or experience. Examples include instincts and reflexes.

Learned behaviors develop as a result of an individual's experiences. Examples include learning through observation and trial and error.

This study investigates the evolutionary and ecological reasons for animal behavior patterns.

A sequence of unlearned, instinctive behaviors triggered by a specific stimulus.

The external cue that initiates a fixed action pattern.

The study of how behaviors aid survival and reproduction in the context of natural selection.

The study of how a behavior is performed and how it's modified.

A chemical signal used for communication between members of the same species.

The balance between species arriving (immigration) and species disappearing (extinction) in a specific habitat, like an island.

A model that describes how the number of species on an island reaches stability when the rate of immigration equals the rate of extinction.

The study of how populations of organisms change in size, distribution, and density over time.

The process of organisms leaving a population, contributing to changes in population size.

Disease-causing organisms, including viruses, bacteria, and fungi, that can impact community structure.

The modification of behavior based on experience.

A long-lasting behavioral response to a specific individual or object, typically formed during a critical period in early development.

The ability to remember and navigate the spatial relationships between objects in an environment.

A mental representation of the spatial relationships between objects, allowing an animal to navigate its environment.

The ability to associate one environmental feature with another, leading to changes in behavior.

A type of associative learning where a neutral stimulus (like a bell) becomes associated with a natural stimulus (like food) to elicit a response (like salivation).

A type of associative learning where behavior is strengthened or weakened based on its consequences.

The acquisition of knowledge and understanding through processes like awareness, reasoning, and judgment.

The process of finding a solution to a problem by overcoming obstacles or using a new strategy.

Learning by observing the behavior of others.

The transmission of information through social learning or teaching, influencing the behavior of individuals in a population.

Behaviors related to obtaining food, including strategies for finding, capturing, and consuming prey.

A model that predicts that natural selection should favor foraging behaviors that minimize costs (like energy expenditure and predation risk) and maximize benefits (like food intake).

The differences in physical appearance between males and females of a species.

The group in an experiment that is exposed to the factor being tested.

The group in an experiment that does not receive the factor being tested, used as a point of comparison.

A statement that can be tested through experimentation, often addressing a relationship between two variables.

The process of maintaining a stable internal environment despite external changes.

Organisms that regulate their body temperature using internally generated heat.

Organisms that rely on external sources to regulate their body temperature.

A reproductive strategy characterized by producing a large number of offspring with limited parental care, often in unstable environments.

A reproductive strategy characterized by producing fewer offspring but investing more energy in their care and development, often in stable environments.

The feeding relationships between organisms in a community.

Different levels in a food chain or web, representing the flow of energy.

The process by which plants use sunlight to convert carbon dioxide and water into organic compounds.

The process by which organisms obtain energy from chemical reactions.

Organisms that obtain energy by consuming other organisms.

The change in population size (dN) over a given time period (dt), calculated by subtracting the death rate (D) from the birth rate (B).

A pattern of spacing among individuals within a population, with individuals clumped together, evenly spread, or randomly distributed.

Unlimited resources lead to continuous growth at a constant rate, doubling the population at a consistent pace, resulting in a J-shaped curve.

The maximum per capita growth rate of a population, or the intrinsic rate of increase.

The study of vital statistics of populations, including birth rates, death rates, and migration rates, over time.

A table that summarizes the survival and reproductive rates of individuals in specific age groups within a population, tracking a group (cohort) from birth to death.

A graphical representation of the survival rate of a cohort over time, showing the proportion or number of individuals still alive at each stage.

A model that describes how a population's growth slows down as it approaches its carrying capacity, resulting in an S-shaped curve.

The maximum population size that a particular environment can sustain, considering available resources.

Traits that affect an organism's reproductive schedule and survival, including when reproduction starts, how frequently it occurs, and the number of offspring produced.

An organism reproduces only once in its lifetime, often producing a large number of offspring.

An organism reproduces multiple times throughout its lifetime, typically producing fewer offspring per reproductive cycle.