Lecture 1
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Questions and Answers

What technology was needed to investigate if migration synchronizes with the lunar cycle?

  • Radios and microphones
  • Telescopes and binoculars
  • Mist nets and song lures (correct)
  • Microscopes and petri dishes

    • The larger size of male dung flies is evidence of sexual selection.

    True (A)

    What is the term for the sum of direct and indirect fitness?

    inclusive fitness

    A phenotypic character that confers fitness benefits resulting from natural selection is called a(n) ______.

    <p>adaptation</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Match the following descriptions to the stages of understanding Dung Fly mating behavior:

    <p>Pre-Darwin = Descriptive natural history Darwin = Males compete for access to females ~1975 = Males delay dismounting 1980s = Copulation time is predictable</p> Signup and view all the answers

    According to the slides, what is NOT a suggested way to do well in the course?

    <p>Rely solely on the PPT slides for notes (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the 'easy metric' mentioned for assessing an individual's fitness?

    <p>Number of surviving offspring (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    The slides claim that students who visited during office hours were generally unprepared for the midterm.

    <p>False (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Direct fitness is achieved through non-descendant kin.

    <p>False (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the overall prediction about the Eastern whip-poor-will's behavior related to the moon?

    <p>They are lunaphilic</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is included in the phenotype of an Alligator Snapping Turtle?

    <p>modified tongue and associated behaviour</p> Signup and view all the answers

    The slides list examples of descriptive natural history. One example mentioned is that Eastern whip-poor-wills sing in the ______ and moonlight, but not in daylight or dark night.

    <p>twilight</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which of the following behaviors was NOT listed as a specific prediction regarding whip-poor-wills?

    <p>They are active during the day (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Match the following concepts with their descriptions:

    <p>Descriptive natural history = Focuses on observations and descriptions of natural phenomena Predictive natural history = Formulates specific predictions based on observations Experimental behavioural ecology = Uses experiments to test hypotheses about behaviour</p> Signup and view all the answers

    The slides suggest using radio tags to monitor nests.

    <p>False (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    According to the slides, what technologies are needed to study foraging in Eastern whip-poor-wills?

    <p>Mist nets and song lures</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is alloparenting?

    <p>Parental care provided by an individual towards young that are not its own direct offspring. (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Artificial selection occurs when differences in traits are correlated with differences in reproductive success.

    <p>False (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What are the two sub-subcategories of sexual selection?

    <p>Intersexual selection and Intrasexual selection</p> Signup and view all the answers

    In the context of mating, sexual selection occurs when the selective agents are __.

    <p>conspecifics</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Match the type of selection with its description:

    <p>Natural selection = Differences in traits correlated with reproductive success Artificial selection = Humans are the selective agent Indirect selection = Selection connected to indirect fitness Sexual selection = Selective agents are conspecifics in the context of mating</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which of the following is an example of natural selection given in the content?

    <p>Parental care in African Savanna Elephants (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the key characteristic of an evolutionary arms race?

    <p>Competitive coevolution driven by self-interest (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Ethology is the study of only proximate mechanisms of behavior.

    <p>False (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is best for the male is always best for the female.

    <p>False (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is sociobiology?

    <p>The use of evolutionary theory to study social behavior.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    In the context of whistling moths, what is the common response of a female to a bat that is far away?

    <p>freeze (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    The immediate, underlying causes of behavior are known as ________ causes.

    <p>proximate</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which of the following is an example of an ultimate cause of behavior?

    <p>Individuals who migrate south survive better (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Evolutionary psychology is focused on the adaptive value of psychological mechanisms primarily in non-human animals.

    <p>False (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the main idea behind the concept of evolutionary psychology?

    <p>That some behaviors of modern humans reflect their evolutionary history.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What describes 'instinct'?

    <p>A behavior pattern that develops reliably in individuals (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    A fixed action pattern is a learned behavior that changes depending on the external environment.

    <p>False (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What triggers the fixed action pattern in male three-spined sticklebacks during mating?

    <p>The egg-swollen, iridescent female.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    In imprinting, individuals form an association with an object when exposed to key stimuli at an early _____ in life.

    <p>stage</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which of the following best describes the role of the releaser stimulus?

    <p>It signals important social information to another individual. (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Match the following terms with their definitions:

    <p>Instinct = An innate behavior pattern Releaser stimulus = Provides social information Fixed action pattern = A stereotyped innate response Imprinting = Association formed during early exposure</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Male three-spined sticklebacks perform a zig-zag swim when approaching a female.

    <p>True (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Who famously worked with goslings to study the concept of imprinting?

    <p>Konrad Lorenz</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What purpose does the roar of male red deer serve in mating behavior?

    <p>Signals body size and fighting ability (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Illegitimate receivers use signals to enhance their own fitness at the expense of the signaller's fitness.

    <p>True (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What behavior do male frogs exhibit to attract mates?

    <p>Mating calls including whines and chucks.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    In mating, the carotenoid-pigmented plumage of male house finches signals their ______ to females.

    <p>health</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Match the animal with its respective role regarding signals:

    <p>Fringe-lipped Bat = Illegitimate receiver Photinus firefly = Legitimate signaller Photuris firefly = Illegitimate signaller Grote’s Tiger Moth = Signal jamming</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the Dilution Effect in the context of mating?

    <p>Safety in numbers reducing predator attention (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Sensory exploitation occurs when a signaler utilizes an existing bias in the receiver's perception.

    <p>True (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What type of display is used as a communication signal among animals?

    <p>Stereotyped action</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Study Notes

    Behavioural Ecology: Overview

    • Behavioural ecology examines the interactions between individuals within populations (intraspecific) and different species (interspecific) in natural communities.
    • Key questions include the proximate (immediate) and ultimate (evolutionary) causes of behaviour, its adaptive value for survival and reproduction, and how behavioural interactions influence evolutionary fitness.

    Course Content and Structure

    • The course, Behavioural Ecology, is a new offering. Prior courses were Population Ecology and Community Ecology.
    • The instructor teaches several other courses, including NATS 1660 (Biology of Sex), ENVS 3420 (Environmental Law), and various BIOL courses (4250, 4245, 4070, 1001, 4001).
    • The instructor's primary research focuses on ornithology, especially migration and reproductive behavior.
    • Lectures occur on Mondays and Wednesdays from 11:30 to 12:45 and are not recorded.
    • There are no labs.
    • Assessments include two mid-terms (15% and 20%), a cumulative final exam (45%), in-class presentations (15%), and presentation summaries (5%).

    eClass Information

    • PowerPoint slides and readings are the primary course materials.
    • Do not email lecture material through eClass.
    • Use the instructor's email address ([email protected]) for inquiries.

    Previous Course's Grade Distribution

    • Students who attended class regularly, often during office hours, tended to perform better.
    • Students who missed classes and/or did not study the required readings struggled on assessments.
    • Some students who did not perform well on the midterm improved on the final exam.

    How to Succeed in the Course

    • Attend all lectures.
    • Create your own detailed notes, as PowerPoint slides are not comprehensive.
    • Ask questions about anything unclear during class or office hours.
    • Know the course material well enough to answer questions drawing on the lecture content.

    Key Themes

    • Constraints on animal behaviour
    • Development of behaviour
    • Mediating factors that influence animal behaviour
    • Optimization and trade-offs in animal behaviour
    • Reproductive behaviour
    • Feeding behaviours

    From Natural History to Behavioural Ecology

    • Studies initially focused on descriptive accounts of animal behaviour like the Eastern Whip-poor-will.
    • Descriptive observations can lead to predictions about animal behaviour.
    • For example, Whip-poor-wills predominantly sing at twilight and moonlight.

    Predictions for Eastern Whip-poor-wills

    • They are nocturnal.
    • They move and forage more during moonlight.
    • They adjust reproductive and migration schedules with the moon cycle.
    • These predictions need further testing with specific techniques.

    Methods for Researching Whip-poor-wills

    • Mist nets
    • Song lures
    • Radio tags.

    Further Questions

    • Do Whip-poor-wills forage more during moonlight?
    • Do they feed their young more during moonlight?
    • Do they synchronize their nesting behaviour with the lunar cycle?
    • Do they synchronize their migration schedules with the lunar cycle?

    Needed Technology for Research

    • GPS tags
    • Mist nets
    • Song lures.

    Other Topics

    • Sociobiology: Applying evolutionary theory through the lens of adaptation to the study of social behaviour.
    • Evolutionary Psychology: Studying psychological mechanisms through the lens of their adaptive functions.
    • Altruism: Seemingly self-sacrificing behaviours that assist others but lower the donor's fitness..
    • Eusociality: True social behaviours with specialized non-reproductive castes.
    • Transactional Theory: Social units arising from negotiated reproductive opportunities.
    • Dominance Hierarchy: Social ranking within the group.
    • Communication: Cooperative information transfer, honest signal, and illegitimate signals & receivers.
    • Dilution Effect: The presence of many individuals within a social group, safety through diminished risks.
    • Phylogenetic Inertia: The limitations on current or future evolutionary pathways due to previous adaptations.
    • Comparative Method: Comparing species to test evolutionary hypotheses based on known relationships.
    • Phenotypic Plasticity: How environmental conditions alter an organism's physical or behavioral characteristics.
    • Learning including Imprinting and Operant Conditioning: The lasting change in behaviour resulting from experience, often including association with a specific object.
    • Game Theory: The analysis of tactics of individuals based on the behaviour of group members.
    • Optimality Theory: Organisms' traits are optimal, in that fitness benefits exceed costs as much as possible, and there are cost-benefit analyses inherent.
    • Economic Defendability: A subcategory of optimality theory focusing on the costs and benefits of defending resources like territories, mates, or food.
    • Phylogeny: An evolutionary history of species.

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    Description

    This quiz explores various biological concepts related to dung flies, including their mating behaviors and the impact of lunar cycles on migration patterns. Questions also touch upon terms in evolutionary biology, such as direct and indirect fitness, and provide insights into the characteristics of certain species. Test your knowledge on these key topics!

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