30 Questions
Which field of study examines the immediate cause or mechanism that drives a behavior?
Proximate cause
What is the study of natural history of behavior called?
Ethology
Which individuals are considered the fathers of behavioral biology?
Nico Tinbergen, Conrad Lorenz, and Karl von Frisch
What are innate behaviors with pre-set paths within the nervous system called?
Fixed action patterns
Which of the following is an area of research related to the division of labor within a society of animals?
All of the above
What is an example of a society in which only one individual gets to breed?
All of the above
What are examples of cases where the behavior of predators has driven the behavior and morphology of other animals?
Mimicry and camouflage
What raises the question of whether females sometimes prefer features that males in their species don't even have?
Breeding preferences
Which of the following is an example of innate behavior triggered by a key sign stimulus?
Imprinting in goslings
Which of the following is an example of natural selection affecting behavior?
Nest-building behavior in lovebirds
Which gene is responsible for determining maternal behavior in female mice?
FOSB gene
What is the importance of following the mother for survival in goslings?
To develop social skills
Which field of study focuses on how genetics and environmental factors shape behavior in animals?
Behavioral genetics
What is imprinting?
A response to a critical period
What did Von Frisch discover about honeybees?
The direction and distance information encoded in the dance
What is the role of the FOSB gene in mice?
Activating enzymes and genes that affect neural circuitry
Which of the following is an example of classical conditioning?
Cats associating the sound of a can opener with food
What is the ultimate cause of animals running away when they see a predator?
Individuals breeding in spring being more successful
Which of the following is an example of observational learning?
Fish observing others to determine how to approach a novel object
What is the advantage of social groups in animals?
Greater protection from predators
Which type of learning does not require an animal to form an association between two stimuli or between a stimulus and a response?
Non-associative learning
What is the term for learning that involves an association between two stimuli or between a stimulus and a response?
Associative learning
Which type of learning involves the association between a stimulus and a response?
Associative learning
What are the two types of associative learning mentioned in the text?
Classical conditioning and operant conditioning
What type of learning leads to the evolution of aposematic coloration?
Avoidance by predators of brightly colored animals
What is the study of the contribution that heredity or genetics makes to behavior called?
Behavioral genetics
Which of the following animals have been observed using tools?
Chimpanzees, otters, and ravens
What is the purpose of mimicry and camouflage in animals?
To deter predators
What role do genes play in the development of behavior in animals?
Genes guide behavior development, but nurture and experiences also play a role
Which animals have been observed to show cognitive behavior and problem-solving skills?
Chimpanzees, ravens, and pigeons
Study Notes
Behavioral Ecology and Animal Cognition
- Crests in birds are preferred by females and make males look bigger, even in species without crests.
- Wide-eyed flies benefit in contests with wider eye stocks and have evolved extremely wide eye stocks.
- Animals can show cognitive behavior, process information, and problem-solve, such as chimpanzees, ravens, and Japanese macaques.
- Tool use is observed in chimpanzees, otters, and ravens.
- Social systems in animals increase feeding success and protection from predators, such as in flocks of pigeons and insect societies.
- Diet and predation shape social groups in vertebrates, similar to social insects.
- Artificial selection can be used to study behavioral genetics and behaviors in animals, such as lab rats negotiating a maze.
- Genes guide the development of behavior, but nurture and experiences also play a role.
- Vasopressin affects pair bonding in prairie voles and the strength of marital bonds in human males.
- Sexual dimorphism based on mating systems and behaviors is observed in many species.
- Mimicry and camouflage have evolved to deter predators, such as caterpillars mimicking snake heads and moths resembling rubbish.
- Acoustic biology studies factors affecting mating and alarm calls, with structure being similar for alarm calls and different for mating calls.
Test your knowledge on behavioral ecology and animal cognition with questions on mate choice, cognitive abilities, social systems, tool use, genetic influences, and more.
Make Your Own Quizzes and Flashcards
Convert your notes into interactive study material.
Get started for free
