Deck 36: Animal Behavior

Question 1

Causes of behavior that involve physiology are classified as:

A) proximate.
B) pragmatic.
C) ultimate.
D) universal.

Answer 1

proximate.

Question 2

During the fall, many large mammals begin to look for mates as a result of changes in the levels of various hormones. This explanation for mate searching is classified as:

A) proximate.
B) pragmatic.
C) ultimate.
D) universal.

Answer 2

proximate.

Question 3

Causes of behavior that involve survival are classified as:

A) proximate.
B) pragmatic.
C) ultimate.
D) universal.

Answer 3

ultimate.

Question 4

During the fall, many large mammals begin to look for mates. Their gestation period is usually several months, and by mating in the fall, they ensure that their offspring are born in May, which is the optimum time for their survival. This explanation for mate searching is classified as:

A) proximate.
B) pragmatic.
C) ultimate.
D) universal.

Question 5

Which of the following would be a proximate cause for male birds singing?

A) Birds that sing mate more often than those who do not.
B) Birds that sing are more brightly colored than birds that do not sing.
C) Changes in day length cause a small part of the brain called the "song center" to become active.
D) Birds that sing are more successful in retaining their territories than birds that do not sing.

Question 6

In the fall, male bighorn sheep start to ram each other. Which of the following would be an ultimate cause for this behavior?

A) Ramming knocks parasites off their fur.
B) Changes in day length stimulate aggressiveness.
C) Ramming is a way of determining who mates with females.
D) The odor of females stimulates aggressiveness.

Question 7

Crows will pick up a clam, fly up in the air with it, and then drop it on the rocks to open it. If one were to attempt to assess an ultimate cause for this, what data might one collect?

A) levels of activity in different regions of the brain
B) hormone levels in the brain of the crow
C) comparison of the success of crows that had normal sight and crows whose eyes were covered
D) seeing whether the crows that were most successful in breaking open the clams had more offspring

Question 8

Which of the following influences behavior?

A) environmental cues
B) experience
C) genes
D) all of the above

Question 9

In the late summer, about one hour before sunset, male crickets begin to sing. This behavior is influenced by:

A) genes.
B) environmental cues.
C) experience.
D) all of the above

Question 10

A behavior that is performed the same way every time is said to be:

A) reflex.
B) stereotyped.
C) a taxis.
D) fixed action pattern.

Question 11

When you hear a loud noise for which you are not prepared, you immediately orient your head away from the source of the sound. This is:

A) a fixed action pattern.
B) a reflex.
C) stereotyped.
D) a taxis.

Question 12

An element of an action or object that triggers an action pattern is:

A) a releaser.
B) fixed.
C) stereotyped.
D) a reflex.

Question 13

During mating season, a male robin will fly directly towards another male, expose his red breast, and vocalize. This is an example of:

A) releaser.
B) a taxis.
C) fixed action pattern.
D) reflex.

Question 14

A male robin will attack a tennis ball painted orange just as if it were a strange male entering its territory. The orange color is:

A) stereotyped.
B) a releaser.
C) reflex.
D) fixed.

Question 15

Female crickets move towards the source the sound produced when a male rubs his leg along the side of his body. This behavior of the female is a:

A) fixed action pattern.
B) reflex.
C) releaser.
D) taxis.

Question 16

Biological rhythms are reset at regular intervals using some environmental cue. The cue is said to ________ the cycle.

A) circadian
B) fix
C) release
D) entrain

Question 17

A process of learning that results in one animal's preferentially associating with another is:

A) operant conditioning.
B) imprinting.
C) classical conditioning.
D) habituation.

Question 18

The Circadian rhythm characteristic of some organisms is most likely influenced by:

A) the sun.
B) the rhythms of prey species.
C) the amount of indirect sunlight.
D) relative rainfall.
E) the amount of darkness

Question 19

Mary had a little lamb whose fleece was white as snow, and everywhere that Mary went the lamb was sure to go. This is a description of:

A) habituation.
B) operant conditioning.
C) classical conditioning.
D) imprinting.

Question 20

When a person changes time zones suddenly, as in jet travel, the circadian rhythm:

A) adjust within a few hours.
B) is destroyed temporarily.
C) takes on a different periodicity.
D) becomes random.
E) needs entrainment.

Question 21

Learning to respond in a customary way to a new stimulus that has been paired with an existing stimulus is:

A) habituation.
B) imprinting.
C) classical conditioning.
D) operant conditioning.

Question 22

Learning that occurs when an animal's own behavior brings about a response that has either positive or negative consequences is:

A) habituation.
B) imprinting.
C) classical conditioning.
D) operant conditioning.

Question 23

A behavior will be repeated more often if it is followed by a reward and less often if it is followed by punishment. This is a statement of:

A) habituation.
B) imprinting.
C) classical conditioning.
D) operant conditioning.

Question 24

A dog can be taught to sit up by praising it and giving it a treat every time is sits up. This is an example of:

A) habituation.
B) imprinting.
C) classical conditioning.
D) operant conditioning.

Question 25

Dogs can be housebroken by:

A) praising them when they urinate and defecate outside.
B) scolding them when they urinate and defecate inside.
C) ringing a bell whenever they urinate and defecate.
D) Both A and B are correct.

Question 26

The formation of a connection between objects and events that were formerly unconnected is called:

A) imitation.
B) operant conditioning.
C) insight.
D) classical conditioning.

Question 27

A predator returns to a location where it has recently found food. This is an example of:

A) classical conditioning.
B) insight.
C) operant conditioning.
D) habituation.

Question 28

Imprinting:

A) is genetically determined without a component of learning.
B) occurs equally well with a variety of stimuli.
C) must occur during a critical period in development.
D) is an encoding of simple information.
E) always occurs between parents and offspring.

Question 29

Refer to the figure above and then answer the question that follows.

-The chimpanzees are manipulating boxes and pole sections to reach bananas suspended above their heads. What type of behavior is this?

A) insight learning
B) instinct
C) altruism
D) imprinting
E) habituation

Question 30

The acquisition of song in songbirds typically does not involve which of the following?

A) testosterone
B) the experience of hearing other birds sing
C) the presence of a female
D) genes

Question 31

Which of the following is not a benefit of social interactions?

A) reduction in disease levels
B) cooperation in finding food
C) defense from predators
D) easier finding of mates

Question 32

Male baboons will display their teeth to each other and may even fight with one another until they establish a linear system in which each male knows which males it can beat and which ones it cannot. This is a description of:

A) altruism.
B) territoriality.
C) a dominance hierarchy.
D) eusociality.

Question 33

Animals will attempt to procure and defend a resource. This is a description of:

A) eusociality.
B) altruism.
C) a dominance hierarchy.
D) territoriality.

Question 34

The criterion that is used to establish an animal as eusocial is:

A) the organization of a caste system with a division of labor.
B) the establishment of single-sex colonies.
C) territoriality.
D) dominance hierarchy.

Question 35

Auditory communication is found mostly in:

A) reptiles.
B) mammals.
C) amphibians.
D) insects.
E) fish.

Question 36

Visual communication is better than auditory communication at:

A) conveying complex information.
B) communicating over long distances.
C) getting the attention of the receiver.
D) going around objects.
E) being used in dark environments.

Question 37

Refer to the figure above and then answer the question that follows.

-The figure documents pecking order in hens. What type of behavior does this data analyze?

A) territoriality
B) altruism
C) dominance
D) eusociality

Question 38

A costly or risky behavior of one animal carried out for the benefit of another is:

A) altruism.
B) dominance.
C) eusociality.
D) territoriality.

Question 39

You are on a beach and see a swimmer being attacked by a shark. Which of the following would be an altruistic act on your part?

A) getting a lifeguard
B) using your cell phone to call 911
C) jumping in the water to save the swimmer
D) grabbing your video camera to tape it for the news

Question 40

The concept of inclusive fitness tells us that we are more likely to act altruistically toward:

A) our best friend.
B) our classmates.
C) our sibling.
D) our pets.

Question 41

Physiological causes of behavior are considered proximate.

Question 42

Natural selection is at the heart of ultimate causes of behavior.

Question 43

A proximate cause for females defending their young might be that it increases the rate of survival of her offspring.

Question 44

Animal behavior is the study of how animals survive on a daily basis.

Question 45

The ultimate cause of any animal behavior linked to daily survival is evolution.

Question 46

The weight of a squirrel is a proximate cause of its dispersal behavior.

Question 47

Genes are much more important than experience or environmental cues in influencing behavior.

Question 48

Reflexes tend to be stereotyped.

Question 49

Fixed action patterns tend to be reflexive.

Question 50

Reflexes occur in response to stimuli called releasers.

Question 51

A fixed action potential is a type of reflex.

Question 52

Hormones are involved in our circadian rhythms.

Question 53

Learning is the acquisition of knowledge through past experiences.

Question 54

The reduction of a response to the stimulus based on repeated exposure to that stimulus is described as habituation.

Question 55

Young chimps who learn to collect termites from watching their mothers are exhibiting insight learning.

Question 56

A songbird reared in isolation will never sing a normal song.

Question 57

If a northern songbird is reared with birds from a southern range, it will sing a song that has a more southern pattern.

Question 58

If a young bird's testes are removed before it learns to sing, it will never sing.

Question 59

A benefit of social interaction is a reduction in predation.

Question 60

A benefit of social interactions is receiving the opportunity to find a mate.

Question 61

Herds usually have a dominance hierarchy to establish order in the herd.

Question 62

Songbirds usually exhibit dominance hierarchies to attract mates.

Question 63

Altruism is advantageous because it increases the survival of our close relatives. This statement is a summary of the concept of kin selection.

Question 64

The concept of reciprocal altruism says that the reason any one of us might jump into the water and save a drowning child is that at some future time, we might expect someone to save one of our own children.

Question 65

Inclusive fitness is defined as the relative genetic contribution to succeeding generations.

Question 66

Explain how natural selection is the ultimate cause of animal behavior.

Question 67

What does stereotyped mean in a discussion of any animal behavior?

Question 68

Discuss what the releaser is in an action pattern.

Question 69

What is the phenomenon known as taxis?

Question 70

How is the biological clock of a cricket maintained and synchronized?

Question 71

Discuss the association between imprinting and the sensitive period.

Question 72

What are the advantages of social behavior?

Question 73

What is the difference between altruism and reciprocal altruism?

Question 74

Why is altruism genetically maintained within a species?