Deck 40: Animal Behavior

Question 1

Fixed action patterns

A) are controlled by the nervous system.
B) usually can be extinguished by learning.
C) are always simple.
D) challenge the notion of biological determinism.
E) require prior exposure to other individuals to be expressed.

Answer 1

A

Question 2

Suppose that nearly all healthy individuals of a fish species perform a swimming pattern upon exposure to a chemical.This response is very similar across all individuals of the species,and is exceedingly difficult to prevent via learning.Most likely,this behavior is an example of

A) behavioral imprinting.
B) a fixed action pattern.
C) orienting.
D) a pheromone.
E) an alarm call.

Answer 2

B

Question 3

The per (period)gene primarily affects

A) behavioral imprinting.
B) running speed.
C) running duration.
D) alarm call production.
E) daily activity patterns.

Answer 3

E

Question 4

In Metzgar's experiments on learning in white-footed mice,the screech owls

A) allowed observers to examine the effects of fear in the mice.
B) provided a warning system for the mice.
C) allowed observers to see which mice would hide from the predator.
D) allowed observers to see which mice would run faster in response.
E) served as a control.

Question 5

The begging behavior of gull chicks is a classic example of

A) learning
B) orientation.
C) behavioral imprinting.
D) a fixed action pattern.
E) a pheromone.

Question 6

Suppose you find that houseflies from northern areas are more likely to engage in a food seeking behavior than those from the south.What is the best method to show that these geographic differences are genetic and not just environmental in nature?

A) Sequence DNA from the samples.If the samples differ in DNA sequence by more than a certain amount,then the behavioral differences are genetic.
B) Sequence DNA from the samples.If the samples differ in DNA by more than a certain amount,then the behavioral differences are environmental.
C) Measure other behavioral traits in the samples.If other behaviors also show differences,then the behavioral differences are environmental.
D) Raise the flies in a common environment.If the behavioral differences persist,then they are genetic.
E) Raise the flies in a common environment.If the behavioral differences persist,then they are environmental.

Question 7

Artificial selection experiments are best able to answer the question of whether or not

A) a behavior can evolve quickly.
B) a behavior is learned.
C) behavioral differences in natural populations have a genetic component.
D) imprinting is involved in a behavior.
E) a fixed action pattern exists.

Question 8

Biological determinism

A) is most likely to be true for more complex animals.
B) is consistent with fixed action patterns.
C) was most popular as an explanation for human behavior during the mid-twentieth century.
D) was never accepted as an explanation for human behavior.
E) asserts that behaviors can be easily changed.

Question 9

Lynch's studies of house mice nest sizes

A) showed that the size of the nests decreases as one moves north.
B) disproved biological determinism.
C) illustrated artificial selection.
D) illustrated learning.
E) demonstrated a genetic basis for this trait.

Question 10

Which statement about fixed action patterns is false?

A) They are behaviors.
B) They are present in nearly all healthy individuals of the species.
C) They require learning.
D) They are under control of the nervous system.
E) They can be quite elaborate.

Question 11

Researchers use both "positive" and "negative" evidence to infer the roles of structures in behaviors.Which observation would be considered "negative" evidence in support of a hypothesis about the role of a brain structure?

A) There is an increase in activity in the hippocampus when people are trying to recall a sequence of digits.
B) Upon being groomed,dogs exhibit a decrease in activity of a brain structure associated with fear.
C) Removal of a particular brain structure causes fish to swim less efficiently.
D) Removal of a particular brain structure has no discernible effect on the behavior of a spider.
E) Broca's area of the brain shows increased activity when chimpanzees vocalize.

Question 12

In Metzgar's experiments on learning in white-footed mice,the sticks

A) functioned as obstacles for the mice.
B) could be used by the mice to help them hide from the predator.
C) could be used by the mice as tools for capturing prey.
D) served as distance markers for recording how far the mice had moved.
E) prevented the mice from escaping.

Question 13

An individual animal modifying its behaviors as a consequence of previous individual experience provides an example of

A) learning.
B) navigating.
C) orienting.
D) a fixed action pattern.
E) behavioral imprinting.

Question 14

What is the relevance of per mutations to the question of whether activity rhythm behaviors can evolve?

A) These mutations show that such behaviors can evolve because there can be genetic variation that selection can act upon.
B) These mutations show that such behaviors have evolved to suit local conditions.
C) These mutations show that activity patterns cannot evolve because they are fixed action patterns.
D) These mutations illustrate that such behaviors can evolve,because individuals modify their behaviors as a consequence of earlier individual experiences.
E) These mutations illustrate that such behaviors cannot evolve,because they must be learned.

Question 15

In Metzgar's experiments on learning in white-footed mice,

A) the mice familiar with their surroundings were more likely to be caught by the owl.
B) the mice familiar with their surroundings were less likely to be caught by the owl.
C) learning took place during a narrow window of time early in postnatal life.
D) behavioral imprinting was shown to be the dominant mechanism.
E) the evidence strongly supported biological determinism.

Question 16

The window of time during which this process takes place is _______ days.

A) 0 to 4
B) 0 to 8
C) 4 to 6
D) 4 to 8
E) 6 to 8

Question 17

In comparison with other traits,behavior is dramatically more

A) likely to be genetically determined.
B) altered by artificial selection.
C) immutable.
D) fixed at birth.
E) flexible.

Question 18

These observations provide an example of

A) a fixed action pattern.
B) orientation.
C) biological determinism.
D) imprinting
E) navigating.

Question 19

Which statement about behavioral imprinting is false?

A) It occurs during a narrow period of time.
B) Its effects can last a long time.
C) It is a form of learning.
D) It can aide in parent-offspring recognition.
E) Its effects are easily reversed.

Question 20

Which observation would be most compatible with biological determinism?

A) Individual mice learn to travel through novel mazes
B) Epigenetic changes lead to behavioral differences between identical twins
C) Young gulls peck at red spots
D) Differences in men and women in risk-taking behaviors resulting from how they were reared as children
E) Birds demonstrate changes in nest-building behavior due to changes in temperature

Question 21

The behavioral phenotype a migratory locust will express is determined primarily by the _______ conditions it experiences.

A) humidity
B) vitamin
C) crowding
D) temperature
E) salinity

Question 22

Which statement about pheromones is false?

A) They are chemical in nature.
B) They are emitted into the environment.
C) They are released to elicit specific behavioral responses from members of the same species.
D) They are found only in vertebrates.
E) They can be used in orienting.

Question 23

A bird that uses the position of a star to guide its way to a desired location

A) is using pheromones.
B) has been imprinted.
C) is navigating via magnetic cues.
D) has a fixed action program.
E) is orienting.

Question 24

Emlen's studies of buntings demonstrated that their ability to learn the identity of the North Star was

A) relatively constant throughout their lives.
B) a fixed action pattern.
C) an example of biological determinism.
D) an example of imprinting.
E) affected by pheromones.

Question 25

Hyenas best illustrate the

A) integration of feeding behavior with body size and growth.
B) integration of communication with body size and growth.
C) trade-offs between aerobic and anaerobic ATP production.
D) capacity of an animal to have two radically different behavioral phenotypes.
E) effect of epigenetic markers on behavior.

Question 26

Which scientist coined the term "imprinting" and did seminal work on this behavior?

A) Charles Darwin
B) Konrad Lorenz
C) Lee Metzgar
D) Seymour Benzer
E) Bernd Heinrich

Question 27

Malnutrition in developing rats often leads to pronounced lifelong behavioral changes.These changes are most likely due to changes in

A) DNA sequences.
B) epigenetic markers.
C) fixed action patterns.
D) behavioral imprinting.
E) biological determinism.

Question 28

Which animal has the highest sustained speed of all running animals?

A) Greyhound
B) Cheetah
C) Horse
D) Pronghorn
E) Gazelle

Question 29

An adult male Darwin's finch had a father who sang song type A.During the critical learning period,the young male heard only song type B.After the critical learning period,the male heard only song type C.As an adult,the male would likely sing

A) only type A.
B) only type B.
C) only type C.
D) a mixture of types A and B.
E) a mixture of types B and C.

Question 30

Production of low-frequency songs in insects is most closely associated with

A) high aerobic ATP production.
B) high anaerobic ATP production.
C) large body size.
D) small body size.
E) being highly gregarious.

Question 31

Which change would be most likely in a species of frog that has been artificially selected for greater swimming endurance?

A) Increased aerobic ATP production
B) Increased anaerobic ATP production
C) Increased maximum swimming speed
D) Increased fatigue
E) All changes are equally likely.

Question 32

Male elk are a very good illustration of

A) the effect of epigenetic markers on behavior.
B) the integration of communication with body size and growth.
C) the trade-offs between aerobic and anaerobic ATP production.
D) the capacity of an animal to have two radically different behavioral phenotypes.
E) a situation in which size,and not just reproductive maturity,is needed for successful reproduction.

Question 33

Epigenetic marking

A) causes a change in DNA sequence.
B) is a form of active learning.
C) is a form of behavioral imprinting.
D) can lead to changes in an individual's behavior.
E) is a fixed action pattern.

Question 34

The muscle cells of pronghorns,which have the highest sustained running speed of any animal,are exceptionally tightly packed with mitochondria.This physical characteristic shows that

A) pronghorns are the oldest antelope species.
B) pronghorns develop rapidly.
C) behavior is integrated with other bodily functions.
D) behavior helps structure ecological communities.
E) behavior helps maintain species.

Question 35

Which type of learning generally takes place within a narrow window of time?

A) Epigenesis
B) Fixed action pattern
C) Pheromonal learning
D) Behavioral imprinting
E) Heinrich learning

Question 36

In Darwin's finches,how do males usually acquire a specific song?

A) They inherit their father's song.
B) They inherit their maternal grandfather's song.
C) They learn it via behavioral imprinting.
D) They learn it from both parents.
E) They learn it by orienting.

Question 37

An increase in predator activity has led to selection for rapid,short-burst movement in lizards.These lizards are most likely going to evolve _______ ATP production.As a consequence,these lizards should fatigue _______ easily.

A) increased anaerobic;more
B) increased anaerobic;less
C) less;more
D) increased aerobic;more
E) increased aerobic;less

Question 38

Which statement about aerobic ATP production is false?

A) It is slow as compared to anaerobic production.
B) It is more resistant to fatigue than anaerobic production.
C) It requires oxygen.
D) It is most prominent in animals that excel in rapid movements.
E) All of the above are true;none is false.

Question 39

A mammal that runs a maze based on remembered cues,and does not rely on environmental cues,is

A) navigating only.
B) navigating and orienting.
C) navigating and using pheromones.
D) orienting only.
E) orienting and using pheromones.

Question 40

Suppose a female dog has two litters: the first developed when the mother had little food,while the second developed when food was abundant.Both litters had the same father and were reared in similar environments.The offspring of the first litter are much more fearful than their counterparts in the second litter.What is the most likely explanation for the difference between the two litters?

A) Differences in epigenetic marks
B) Changes in DNA sequences
C) Differences in behavioral imprinting
D) Biological determinism
E) Pheromones

Question 41

Use the following to answer questions :
Suppose a rodent species can either live alone or in groups.Group living affects the chances that the rodents will acquire parasites,susceptibility to predation,and also affects thermoregulation.Three different populations of marmots are affected by group living in different ways-the chart below shows the benefits (positive numbers)and costs (negative numbers)for each of these factors in the three populations where the benefits and the costs are in the same units for each of the factors.
If the thermoregulation effects were not a factor,in which populations would you expect to find group living?

A) Population A only
B) Population B only
C) Population C only
D) Populations A and B
E) Populations A and C

Question 42

Essential to defining biological societies is the existence of _______ in the group.

A) more than one species
B) altruism
C) cooperation
D) alarm calls
E) variation in status

Question 43

An animal is displaced such that the sun rises earlier and is lower in the sky than it would be at the animal's home position.In which direction will the animal move in order to go home?

A) Southwest
B) Southeast
C) Northwest
D) Northeast
E) South

Question 44

The behavior of homing pigeons provides an example of

A) the reliance on learning as the sole mechanism in navigation.
B) the influence of epigenetic markers.
C) use of the waggle dance to communicate location.
D) the use of pheromones as the primary mechanism in navigation.
E) redundancy in navigation mechanisms.

Question 45

Biologists assume that animals that live in groups do so

A) because living in groups provides only advantages.
B) because the advantages of group living outweigh the disadvantages.
C) when the advantages of group living are equal to the disadvantages.
D) only when they cannot live alone.
E) if they are being altruistic.

Question 46

Which of the following would provide the strongest evidence that pigeons use magnetic cues for orientation?

A) The detection and description of a neurophysiological magnetic transducer
B) Observations that orienting behavior takes place even on cloudy days
C) Evidence that the attachment of small magnets disrupts pigeons' homing behavior
D) Observations of pigeons gaining latitude information from magnetic fields
E) The discovery of magnetite particles in the cells of pigeons

Question 47

A bird is trained to feed from the southeast end of a circular cage.At sunrise,a mirror is used to shift the position of the sun 45° to the right of its real position.At which location in the cage will the bird attempt to feed?

A) North
B) East
C) South
D) West
E) Southwest

Question 48

A bee is performing a waggle dance on the vertical surface of the honeycomb.The dance has a long waggle segment that goes straight upward.What is she communicating to her hivemates?

A) Food is close to the hive and located in the direction of the sun.
B) Food is far from the hive and located to the north.
C) Food is not available.
D) Food is far from the hive and located in the direction of the sun.
E) Food is far from the hive and located in the opposite direction from the sun.

Question 49

Experimental evidence suggests that the ability to detect _______ allows pigeons to home even on overcast days.

A) sound waves
B) the plane of polarized light
C) Earth's gravitational field
D) Earth's magnetic field
E) scent trails

Question 50

An animal's movement is considered migration if

A) the animal has traveled at least 10,000 kilometers.
B) the animal has traveled at least 1,000 kilometers.
C) the animal moves periodically between locations.
D) the movement has occurred once.
E) the movement is related to seasonal environmental conditions.

Question 51

Use the following to answer questions :
Suppose a rodent species can either live alone or in groups.Group living affects the chances that the rodents will acquire parasites,susceptibility to predation,and also affects thermoregulation.Three different populations of marmots are affected by group living in different ways-the chart below shows the benefits (positive numbers)and costs (negative numbers)for each of these factors in the three populations where the benefits and the costs are in the same units for each of the factors.
In which populations would you expect to find group living?

A) Population A only
B) Population B only
C) Population C only
D) Populations A and B
E) Populations A and C

Question 52

Loggerhead sea turtles rely primarily on _______ as they navigate in the Atlantic Ocean.

A) the position of the sun
B) the position of specific stars
C) pheromones
D) waggle dances
E) magnetic fields

Question 53

Path-integration navigation used by desert ants

A) requires extensive learning and rehearsal.
B) resembles the "dead reckoning" used by nineteenth-century sailors.
C) involves a retracing of their steps.
D) involves the use of a sun compass.
E) is achieved with a waggle dance.

Question 54

At noon,a bee is performing a waggle dance that is oriented 90° to the right of vertical on the honeycomb.The waggle portion of the dance has a long duration.What is she communicating to her hivemates? (Assume the sun is north of the hive at noon. )

A) Food is close to the hive and to the right.
B) Food is far from the hive and to the east.
C) Food is close to the hive and to the west.
D) Food is located in the direction of the sun.
E) Food is close to the hive and is located in the direction opposite the sun.

Question 55

A bird is trained to seek food on the western side of a cage open to the sky.It is then placed in a chamber with a controlled light cycle so that its circadian rhythm becomes phase-delayed by 6 hours (i.e. ,its circadian rhythm is 6 hours behind real time).When it is returned to the open cage at noon in real time,where will it search for food?

A) North
B) South
C) East
D) West
E) Center of the cage

Question 56

What part of the body does a bee waggle in a waggle dance?

A) Antennae
B) Thorax
C) The waggle organ
D) Legs
E) Abdomen

Question 57

A waggle dance is typically performed

A) in the dark.
B) near the source of food.
C) immediately outside the hive.
D) when the bee is headed away from the food source.
E) when the bee is headed toward the food source.

Question 58

A bird is trained to feed from the south end of a circular cage.The bird is then placed in a light-controlled room and is phase-advanced by 6hours.If the bird is returned to the circular cage at noon,where will it search for food?

A) North
B) East
C) South
D) West
E) Northwest

Question 59

Biologists studying navigation in pigeons discovered that that their experimental subjects were determining direction from the position of the sun by

A) injecting the pigeons with testosterone.
B) injecting the pigeons with estrogen.
C) carrying out selection experiments with the pigeons.
D) removing a portion of the pigeon's brains involved with navigation.
E) disrupting the pigeons circadian clocks.

Question 60

Which tool has allowed scientists to determine that young loggerhead sea turtles from Florida spend time off the coast of Africa?

A) Radioactive isotopes
B) Fluorescent dyes
C) Radio-frequency tracking
D) Genetic markers
E) Satellite imagery

Question 61

A warbler chases all other males of the species from a region that he guards.This region would be best described as a

A) home range.
B) arena.
C) nesting area.
D) habitat.
E) territory.

Question 62

What is the difference between a territory and a home range?

A) Other individuals are excluded in territories,but not in home ranges.
B) Other individuals are excluded in home ranges,but not in territories.
C) Territories are large regions of occupied space;home ranges are smaller such regions.
D) Territories are small regions of occupied space;home ranges are larger such regions.
E) There are no differences between territories and home ranges.

Question 63

The per gene was identified by researchers who noted an alteration in the _______ of fruit flies and began investigating genetic causes.

Question 64

Nearly all healthy individuals of a species of wasp will build an elaborate nest at a certain time.No learning appears to be involved.This behavior is most likely a(n)_______.

Question 65

What is the primary assumption of cost-benefit analyses as they are applied to animal behavior?

A) Animals have unlimited resources.
B) An individual should engage in behaviors that cost more to perform than they bring in benefits.
C) An individual should not engage in behaviors that cost more to perform than they bring in benefits.
D) Living in groups provides more benefits than costs.
E) Living in groups provides more costs than benefits.

Question 66

If behavioral patterns of a species can be artificially selected for in laboratory populations,then behavior in that species must be at least partially under _______ control.

Question 67

Alarm calls in Belding's ground squirrels

A) are the only known example of altruism.
B) are employed by only a few individuals.
C) are used in place of fighting between individual squirrels.
D) reduce the risk of predation.
E) highlight a disadvantage of group living.

Question 68

Heinrich used _______ to predict which flowers bumblebees would visit during different types of weather.

A) habitat analysis
B) behavioral imprinting
C) a fixed action pattern
D) a cost-benefit analysis
E) artificial selection

Question 69

What feature would you least expect to see in a eusocial system?

A) All individuals with more or less equal status
B) Individuals with different statuses
C) Altruism
D) Frequent alarm calls
E) Rare or nonexistent alarm calls

Question 70

Which vertebrate exhibits eusociality?

A) Belding's ground squirrels
B) Impala antelopes
C) Naked mole rats
D) Darwin's finches
E) Loggerhead sea turtles

Question 71

Heinrich postulated that temperature would affect bumblebee foraging behavior because

A) the benefit obtained during foraging increased as temperature increased.
B) the benefit obtained during foraging decreased as temperature increased.
C) the costs associated with foraging increased as temperature increased.
D) the costs associated with foraging decreased as temperature increased.
E) higher temperatures caused more brain activity.

Question 72

Suppose a bee can obtain 3 joules of energy for each flower of a certain plant species that it harvests.It spends 20 joules per minute foraging.What is the minimum number of flowers that must be harvested per minute based on a cost-benefit analysis? (Assume that the cost of foraging is the only cost involved. )

A) 2
B) 7
C) 17
D) 20
E) 23

Question 73

What is the primary behavioral reason that different species of ground-living Darwin's finches do not typically hybridize?

A) They have different habitat preferences.
B) Females typically recognize only species-specific mating songs.
C) Females prefer the color patterns of their own species.
D) The different species are active at different times of the day.
E) The different species are active at different times of the year.

Question 74

Which statement about altruism is true?

A) Altruism is found in all eusocial organisms.
B) Altruism is found only in eusocial organisms.
C) Altruism is found only in vertebrates.
D) Altruism is found only in invertebrates.
E) Altruism always involves reproductive behaviors.

Question 75

A region of the brain shows increased activity when a mouse is learning a maze.This is a type of _______ evidence about the role that brain region plays in behavior.

Question 76

An individual vampire bat shares a blood meal with another individual bat.This sharing helps the recipient survive but imposes a cost on the donor.Which term best describes this behavior?

A) Eusociality
B) Altruism
C) Behavioral imprinting
D) Biological determinism
E) Dominance

Question 77

A researcher is investigating whether a species of snapping shrimp exhibits eusocial behavior.Which observation would best support the claim that this species is eusocial?

A) Upon approach of a predator,some individuals give warning calls that draw attention to themselves.
B) The size of the population is positively correlated with predation risk.
C) The size of the population is negatively correlated with predation risk.
D) All mature individuals that are healthy are reproductive.
E) A large fraction of healthy and mature individuals are nonreproductive.

Question 78

What is the main reason that white-footed mice and cotton mice don't hybridize in nature?

A) Any hybrids they produce would be completely nonviable.
B) They are active at different times of the day.
C) They prefer different habitats.
D) They do not recognize each other as mates.
E) Any hybrids they produce would be sterile.

Question 79

Which example best illustrates social behavior involving individuals of differing statuses?

A) Mating behavior in impala antelopes
B) Alarm calls in Belding's ground squirrels
C) A hawk's capturing a pigeon
D) Pigeons avoiding capture by a hawk
E) Schools of fish searching for dark areas

Question 80

Two individual bears occupy the same area of woods and open grassland.This area would be best described as a

A) habitat.
B) domain.
C) territory.
D) homing center.
E) home range.