Deck 33: Behavioral Ecology

Question 1

Which experiment most closely confirms the linkage between DNA → a gene → a gene product → the behavior that results from that product?

A) experiments with the inland and coastal garter snakes and their food preferences
B) experiments with identical twins separated at birth
C) experiments with laughing gull chicks and their pecking behavior to solicit food from the mother gull
D) experiments with white-crowned sparrows and the critical period for learning bird songs
E) experiments with Aplysia snails and their egg-laying behavior

Answer 1

E

Question 2

Animals that live in social groups, generally arrange themselves in such a way that one animal takes precedence over others. This is known as

A) imprinting.
B) inclusive fitness.
C) a dominance hierarchy.
D) altruism.
E) a circadian rhythm.

Answer 2

C

Question 3

You have several pet pigeons and want your birds to learn to play ping-pong. Every time your birds respond correctly, you give them a food reward. This is an example of classical conditioning.

Answer 3

False

Question 4

Learned behavior that causes a family of baby ducks to follow their mother is called

A) imprinting.
B) operant conditioning.
C) insight learning.
D) extinction.
E) motivation.

Question 5

A form of natural selection that favors features that increase an animal's chances of mating is known as

A) altruism.
B) directional selection.
C) stabilizing selection.
D) associative learning.
E) sexual selection.

Question 6

All graylag geese exhibit a behavioral pattern known as "egg rolling." If an egg is displaced, they will use their neck and beak to roll the egg back into the nest. In all members of the species, this behavior is performed perfectly the first time without any prior experience. Additionally, if an egg is removed while a goose is egg rolling, the goose will still complete the behavioral pattern. Based on this information, egg rolling

A) must be a learned behavior.
B) is imprinted on newly hatched goslings.
C) is a fixed-action pattern.
D) is an example of associative learning.
E) is a classical conditioned behavior.

Question 7

The influence of learning on behavior was shown in studies of

A) migrating birds.
B) altruism in human beings.
C) food preferences of garter snakes.
D) nurturing behavior in mice.
E) feeding behavior of baby gull chicks and singing patterns of song birds.

Question 8

Strengthening a stimulus-response connection by using rewards is known as

A) imprinting.
B) operant conditioning.
C) insight learning.
D) extinction.
E) motivation.

Question 9

Behavior is influenced

A) by genetics only.
B) by the environment only.
C) by both genetics and the environment.
D) by neither genetics nor the environment.
E) by something that scientists do not understand yet.

Question 10

Fifty days after hatching, a white-crowned sparrow will never be able to sing a normal song if reared in isolation. This is an example of

A) a sensitive period.
B) a sign stimulus.
C) an innate behavior.
D) a fixed-action pattern.
E) habituation.

Question 11

Experiments with two populations of California garter snakes, varied in habitat (coastal vs. inland) and food preference, showed that

A) food preference was determined by the environment.
B) food preference was learned.
C) the snakes have no specific food preferences.
D) food preference has a genetic basis.
E) food preference was determined by imprinting.

Question 12

Male birds reared by something other than a member of their own species will, when they reach reproductive age, be unable to recognize a suitable mate. The ability of a male bird to choose a mate must be due to a(n)

A) an innate behavior.
B) a learned behavior.
C) an altruistic act.
D) imprinting.
E) a fixed-action pattern.

Question 13

An example of territoriality is

A) barnacles attached to a boat bottom.
B) a red-winged blackbird singing to ward off other males and attract a female to his nest.
C) a cloud of moths attracted to a light.
D) a swarm of mosquitoes hovering around a sweaty person.
E) bees attracted to a flower garden.

Question 14

Imprinting helps animals

A) perform the proper courtship ritual.
B) defend their territory.
C) recognize a member of their own species.
D) form a fixed-action pattern.
E) become better predators.

Question 15

Fixed action patterns (FAPs) cannot be modified by learning.

Question 16

Imprinting is

A) a form of altruism.
B) a completely innate behavior.
C) a type of courtship ritual.
D) an innate behavior accompanied by simple learning.
E) kin selection.

Question 17

What is a change in behavior that involves relating two separate events with each other?

A) a fixed-action pattern
B) innate behavior
C) associative learning
D) imprinting
E) altruistic behavior

Question 18

The sensitive period is most closely associated with

A) imprinting.
B) operant conditioning.
C) insight learning.
D) extinction.
E) motivation.

Question 19

The pecking behavior of laughing gull chicks becomes more accurate with time. This is most likely an example of

A) a fixed-action pattern only.
B) innate behavior only.
C) a fixed-action pattern modified by learning.
D) imprinting.
E) altruistic behavior.

Question 20

Behavioral patterns are influenced primarily by which two organ systems?

A) nervous and digestive
B) digestive and urinary
C) nervous and reproductive
D) nervous and endocrine
E) reproductive and digestive

Question 21

Altruism is described as

A) displaced aggressive behavior.
B) a means of ranking animals in a dominance hierarchy.
C) actions of an animal that benefits others but may result in harm to itself.
D) belligerent behavior that helps an animal compete in its society.
E) an individual's reproductive success.

Question 22

Which of the following is a form of chemical communication?

A) baby gulls pecking at parent's beak
B) grooming in primates
C) the waggle dance of bees
D) pheromones released from female moths
E) fish using their lateral lines to feel the presence of other fish swimming alongside

Question 23

A parrot fluffs out her feathers and screeches when another female bird approaches. She is

A) communicating using only visual signals.
B) sick.
C) communicating using only auditory signals.
D) communicating using visual signals and auditory signals.
E) communicating using tactile cues.

Question 24

The ability of an individual and the individual's kin to survive and reproduce is called

A) altruistic behavior.
B) selfish behavior.
C) natural selection.
D) fitness.
E) inclusive fitness.

Question 25

Which of the following is a benefit to living in a group?

A) protection against predators
B) easier to find food
C) easier to find a mate
D) amount of work can be divided up among members
E) All of the answer choices describe benefits associated with living in a group.

Question 26

You are lying on your favorite beach in Florida and notice periodic white flashes in the sand. Upon closer inspection, you observe the flashes are actually fiddler crabs waving their enlarged claw in the air. This behavior is an example of

A) auditory communication.
B) chemical communication.
C) visual communication.
D) tactile communication.
E) territoriality.

Question 27

Pheromones are

A) visual signals.
B) auditory signals.
C) chemical attractants.
D) tactile responses.
E) fixed action patterns.

Question 28

Honey bees and other social insects have an unusual reproductive genetic system called haplodiploidy. In this system the queen, which develops from a fertilized egg, has two sets of chromosomes and is diploid, while her mate, which develops from an unfertilized egg, has only one set of chromosomes and is haploid. How does haplodiploidy contribute to the altruistic behavior associated with social insects?

A) Female and male offspring produced in a haplodiploidy system are not as intelligent as the queen and therefore are more subservient.
B) Female offspring produced in a haplodiploidy system are born sterile and therefore cannot reproduce on their own. Therefore the only way to pass on their genes is protect the well-being of the queen.
C) Female workers fathered by the same male share about 75% of their genetic material (25% from mother and 50% from the father) and studies have shown that this encourages altruistic behavior in the colony.
D) Haplodiploidy has nothing to do with the altruistic behavior of the insects.
E) Individuals born from two diploid parents inherit genes that influence selfish behavior, while individuals born in a haplodiploidy system lack these genes and therefore, generally act more altruistically.

Question 29

When an ant finds a source of food, such as an open sugar bin in a kitchen, it returns to the nest, leaving a scent trail that other ants can follow. This is a case of

A) tactile communication.
B) auditory communication.
C) chemical communication.
D) visual communication.
E) learning.

Question 30

When training a dog to perform in a movie, the trainer first chooses a natural behavior that approximates what the director wants. The trainer then begins rewarding the dog every time he performs this natural behavior. Gradually, the trainer alters the behavior until the animal is ready to perform. This is an example of classical conditioning.

Question 31

Inclusive fitness refers to

A) an individual's personal reproductive success, as well as that of his or her relatives.
B) an individual's personal reproductive success only.
C) the reproductive success of an individual's relatives only.
D) the reproductive success of the population as a whole.
E) the reproductive success of a species from generation to generation.

Question 32

Kin selection is a form of

A) altruism.
B) territoriality.
C) imprinting.
D) confrontation.
E) sexual selection.

Question 33

The first female aphids to hatch in the spring settle on large leaves and defend them against other females. This is an example of

A) territoriality.
B) reproductive behavior.
C) feeding behavior.
D) learned behavior.
E) dominance hierarchy.

Question 34

A form of communication that works rapidly at varying distances and works in the dark is

A) chemical communication.
B) auditory communication.
C) tactile communication.
D) visual communication.
E) pheromones.

Question 35

Which type of communication occurs when a mother tiger licks and nuzzles their baby?

A) chemical communication
B) visual communication
C) tactile communication
D) auditory communication
E) pheromone communication

Question 36

When a male American alligator uses a combination of sounds to get the attention of a female, what form of communication is he using?

A) chemical communication
B) auditory communication
C) tactile communication
D) visual communication
E) physical communication

Question 37

The transmission of a signal from one animal that influences the behavior of a receiving animal is known as

A) imprinting.
B) associative learning.
C) communication.
D) a stimulus.
E) operant conditioning.

Question 38

Male elks compete for access to females. How is this advantageous for the winner?

A) The survivor of the competition lives longer and has access to greater food resources.
B) The survivor is granted a larger breeding territory.
C) the survivor has the opportunity to mate with more females, increasing his fitness.
D) The survivor ensures that he will never have to battle another elk.
E) There are no advantages for any male that competes for females.

Question 39

The waggle dance helps bees

A) feed their offspring when they are hungry.
B) coordinate reproduction.
C) avoid predators.
D) communicate the location of food.
E) communicate the need for a new queen.

Question 40

While walking along a trail in the woods, you notice that your dog walks over to a tree and urinates on it. Your dog's behavior is an example of

A) visual communication.
B) auditory communication.
C) tactile communication.
D) chemical communication.
E) learning.

Question 41

List and describe the two types of associative learning.

Question 42

Which communication method can be effective both during the day and at night?

A) chemical
B) tactile
C) visual
D) auditory
E) All of the answer choices are correct.

Question 43

Describe the classical conditioning experiment of Ivan Pavlov.

Question 44

Why is it an advantage for a female cardinal to choose a brightly colored male as her mate?

A) A brightly colored male is less attractive to predators.
B) Brightly colored males are able to camouflage the nest with their red feathers.
C) Brightly colored males are healthier and more likely to produce healthy offspring.
D) A brightly colored male sings the loudest.
E) A brightly colored male will help her raise their offspring.

Question 45

In most species, males invest the most energy in raising the young.

Question 46

Territory size is primarily dependent on the animals' food source.

Question 47

Which of the following is a negative consequence of having a territory?

A) energy expended to defend the territory
B) access to food sources
C) nesting sites for raising offspring
D) protection from predators
E) attracting potential mates

Question 48

A male and female crane perform a courtship dance before mating. This is a form of

A) operant conditioning.
B) altruism.
C) imprinting.
D) communication.
E) learning.

Question 49

In gibbon society, which parent invests more energy into the success of the young?

A) Both parents are equally involved in the success of the young.
B) The female invests more energy into the success of the young.
C) The male invests more energy into the success of the young.
D) Neither parent invests in the success of the young.
E) The grandparents invest in the success of the young.

Question 50

Some animals define a territory and defend it. Maintaining a territory is costly in terms of the energy expended in defense and the risk of injury or death. Which of the following is a benefit of maintaining a territory?

A) eliminating predators
B) encouraging other members of the population to settle in the area
C) eliminating predators and encouraging other members of the population to settle in the area
D) obtaining a mate and keeping a constant supply of food
E) obtaining a mate and encouraging other species to settle in the area

Question 51

In reciprocal altruism the helper "gains" a fitness benefit.

Question 52

Which of the following supports the idea that behavior can be influenced by the environment?

A) Robins who were raised in the nest of sparrows sing the sparrow song when they are older.
B) Laughing gull chicks increase their pecking efficiency when presented with a model of the parent's bill.
C) A baby goose hatches out and the first object it sees is a red ball. The goose will follow the ball around as it grows up.
D) A young blue jay eats a monarch for the first time and become ill. The blue jay never eats a monarch again.
E) All of the answer choices are correct.

Question 53

Which body system plays an important role in influencing behavior?

A) endocrine
B) cardiovascular
C) respiratory
D) digestive
E) integumentary

Question 54

List the four main methods of communication among animals.