Deck 51: Behavioural Ecology

Question 1

In the case of the redback spider,would males be better off,in terms of fitness,looking for another female to mate with instead of provoking his mate to eat him?

A)Yes,this would greatly increase his fitness,as he would be able to produce more offspring and with a variety of mates increasing the chance that some of his offspring would survive.
B)No,this would decrease his fitness as he would likely not find a second mate and would decrease his sperm transfer to the female he has found.
C)Yes,this would increase his fitness,as it would provoke the first female to allow him to mate more,and he would get a second mating opportunity with another female.
D)No,this would decrease his fitness,as his first mate would expel his sperm once he left the area.

Answer 1

B

Question 2

Which of the following statements about imprinting is FALSE?

A)Imprinting only occurs during a critical period.
B)Imprinting is fast and irreversible.
C)Imprinting only occurs on a specific color/shape.
D)Imprinting is a type of learning.

Answer 2

C

Question 3

Based on your knowledge of cost-benefit analysis,why would you expect some white-fronted bee-eaters to fly very far away from the nests to forage when there are food sources nearby?

A)There might be some plentiful food sources further away.
B)Competition for food is too intense near the nest.
C)Food near the nest is usually of lower quality.
D)Predation is highest closest to the nest.

Answer 3

A

Question 4

Which one of the following examples best illustrates classical conditioning?

A)geese following the first thing they see upon hatching
B)cats running into the kitchen when they hear a food can being opened
C)birds hatching in isolation and singing their species-specific song
D)cats seeing a mouse and chasing it

Question 5

Lobsters can navigate back home at night using Earth's magnetic field.Is this statement a proximate cause or an ultimate cause?

A)proximate cause
B)ultimate cause

Question 6

You observe a species of bird that,upon hatching,has contact with its parents only while being fed.You also never hear the parents sing during the feeding process.What would you propose about song learning in this species of bird?

A)Song learning in this species is most likely learned.
B)The period of imprinting is likely later in the bird's life.
C)This species does not hear.
D)Song learning in this species is most likely innate.

Question 7

Figure 51.1
In Figure 51.1,in which quadrant would the egg-rolling behavior of a goose be plotted?

A)quadrant A
B)quadrant B
C)quadrant C
D)quadrant D

Question 8

You observe scrub jays hiding food and notice that one particular individual only pretends to hide food.Your experiments associate the presence of other siblings with the frequency of pretending to cache food.A colleague shows you animals of the same species that do not perform this pretend caching.How does this information affect your conclusions about this behaviour?

A)It suggests that this behaviour might be learned.
B)It prevents you from making conclusions.
C)It suggests that your experimental design is flawed.
D)It does not affect anything.

Question 9

How would you classify the genetic basis for most behavioral traits in the animal kingdom?

A)One gene typically codes for one behaviour.
B)One gene typically codes for many behaviours.
C)Many genes typically code for one behaviour.
D)Behaviors are learned,not coded by genes.

Question 10

The recognition and manipulation of facts about the world is termed

A)cognition.
B)learning.
C)imprinting.
D)conditioning.

Question 11

How would self-sacrifice of male redback spiders be an adaptive behaviour?

A)Males only use self-sacrificing behaviour once they have mated with several females and have exhausted their sperm supplies.
B)The chance of a male meeting more than one female is quite low;self-sacrifice maximizes mating time with and sperm transfer to any female the male finds.
C)Males are able to mate with one female,then mate with another female nearby,before being devoured by the first female.
D)When males meet a female and self-sacrifice,it activates enzymes that make his sperm more fit and able to fertilize more eggs.

Question 12

Figure 51.2
Which of the following conclusions is most logical based on the data above?

A)Females produce more eggs more quickly when exposed to breeding males.
B)Females produce eggs more quickly when exposed to many males.
C)All non-isolated females do just as well as isolated females.
D)All of the above answers apply.

Question 13

Which would be the best way to obtain evidence of a bird's cognitive abilities?

A)Observe the bird solving problems in the wild.
B)In captivity,have the bird solve problems like those it would face in the wild.
C)In captivity,have the bird attempt to solve novel problems.
D)All of the above would obtain equal evidence toward thinking ability.

Question 14

You observe scrub jays hiding food and notice that one particular individual only pretends to hide food.What kind of experiment could you perform to test whether this was random or in response to another signal?

A)Observe more of these behaviors in the wild and try to determine if the behaviour is random.
B)Hypothesize a set of signals that could produce this behavior and try to match the behaviours with the signals.
C)Attempt to reproduce the behaviour in captivity by using bird models and a computer simulation.
D)All of the above would be excellent experiments.

Question 15

In which quadrant of the figure above would bird migration be plotted?

A)quadrant A
B)quadrant B
C)quadrant C
D)quadrant D

Question 16

You have captured a number of rats from a wild population and quickly surmise with tests that they are very good at avoiding food with poisons.What would best explain this observation?

A)Rats are probably just intelligent enough to avoid poison.
B)Rats may experience a large variety of toxins in their environment and learn to avoid them.
C)Rats may learn this behavior from their parents or siblings.
D)Rats may be able to tolerate large amounts of poison.

Question 17

You see young spiders hatch from eggs,and,within 5 hours,they are dispersing far from their parents and forming webs.What can you hypothesize about their behaviour?

A)Web-building is innate since there is no parental involvement.
B)Web-building is learned by observation.
C)Web-building is a random behavior.
D)Web-building is an inflexible behavior.

Question 18

In the size-advantage hypothesis,if a group of fish are living in a territory dominated by a single male,females should switch from female to male when they become very large.Which of the following observations best supports this hypothesis?

A)A large female switches to a male,takes over a harem,and has more offspring.
B)A small female switches to a male,takes over a harem,and has more offspring.
C)As males in the vicinity increase in number,more females begin to switch sex.

Question 19

In testing a hypothesis that "territorial defense in European robins is a fixed action pattern that is released by the sight of orange feathers," researchers found that robins defended their territory by attacking anything that was of similar size and had an orange patch.How would you show that it was indeed color that initiated the defense responses?

A)Repeat the experiment using live specimens.
B)Repeat the experiment using other shapes.
C)Repeat the experiment removing the orange patch.
D)Repeat the experiment with giant specimens.

Question 20

Learning has the most influence on behaviour when

A)making mistakes does not result in death.
B)animals have parents or other sources to learn from.
C)animals have enormous cognitive ability.
D)making mistakes does not result in death,and when animals have parents or other sources to learn from.
E)animals have parents or other sources to learn from,and when animals have enormous cognitive ability.

Question 21

Figure 51.5
In the figure above,which is the most logical conclusion from the data?

A)Young children are more at risk when living with a stepparent.
B)Older children are more at risk when living with a stepparent.
C)Older children will not die of homicide when living with biological parents.
D)All stepparents are unfit to raise nonbiological children.

Question 22

Which of the following has greatest coefficient of relatedness?

A)black bear siblings
B)human fraternal twins
C)worker honey bees
D)tiger siblings

Question 23

Figure 51.6 Use the following information and the figure below when answering the corresponding question(s).
The following are an abstract and figure from a paper that explores the evolutionary relationship between a protein kinase and behavior (M. Fitzpatrick and M. Sokolowski. 2004. In search of food: Exploring the evolutionary link between cGMP-dependent protein kinase (PKG)and behaviour. Integrative and Comparative Biology 44:28-36).
Abstract:
Despite an immense amount of variation in organisms throughout the animal kingdom many of their genes show substantial conservation in DNA sequence and protein function. Here we explore the potential for a conserved evolutionary relationship between genes and their behavioural phenotypes. We investigate the evolutionary history of cGMP-dependent protein kinase (PKG)and its possible conserved function in food-related behaviours. First identified for its role in the foraging behaviour of fruit flies, the PKG encoded by the foraging gene had since been associated with the maturation of behaviour (from nurse to forager)in honey bees and the roaming and dwelling food-related locomotion in nematodes. These parallels encouraged us to construct protein phylogenies using 32 PKG sequences that include 19 species. Our analyses suggest five possible evolutionary histories that can explain the apparent conserved link between PKG and behaviour in fruit flies, honey bees and nematodes. Three of these raise the hypothesis that PKG influences the food-related behaviours of a wide variety of animals including vertebrates. Moreover it appears that the PKG gene was duplicated some time between the evolution of nematodes and a common ancestor of vertebrates and insects whereby current evidence suggest only the for-like PKG might be associated with food-related behaviour.

Neighbour joining trees depicting the evolutionary relationships of 32 PKG kinase domain and C-terminal amino acid sequences spanning 19 species of protozoans and metazoans. Values at the nodes represent the results of 5000 bootstrap replications. Lineages with known behavioral links with PKG are indicated by grey branches.
Looking at this evolutionary relationship of protein kinases in the figure above,and knowing there is evidence that this particular protein kinase is linked to food-related behaviors in the animals studied,what conclusions can you draw?

A)PKG influences food-related behaviours in a wide variety of animals.
B)There is enormous variation in amino acid sequences between taxa.
C)There is likely a conserved evolutionary relationship between these genes and their behavioral phenotype.
D)PKG influences food-related behaviours in a wide variety of animals,and there is enormous variation in amino acid sequences between taxa.
E)PKG influences food-related behaviours in a wide variety of animals,and there is likely a conserved evolutionary relationship between these genes and their behavioral phenotype.

Question 24

Which of the animals listed below is best known for migration using chemotaxis?

A)pigeons
B)arctic terns
C)salmon
D)monarch butterflies

Question 25

Any process in which a signal from one individual modifies the behavior of a recipient individual is termed

A)cognition.
B)communication.
C)reflex.
D)perception.

Question 26

Figure 51.6 Use the following information and the figure below when answering the corresponding question(s).
The following are an abstract and figure from a paper that explores the evolutionary relationship between a protein kinase and behavior (M. Fitzpatrick and M. Sokolowski. 2004. In search of food: Exploring the evolutionary link between cGMP-dependent protein kinase (PKG)and behaviour. Integrative and Comparative Biology 44:28-36).
Abstract:
Despite an immense amount of variation in organisms throughout the animal kingdom many of their genes show substantial conservation in DNA sequence and protein function. Here we explore the potential for a conserved evolutionary relationship between genes and their behavioural phenotypes. We investigate the evolutionary history of cGMP-dependent protein kinase (PKG)and its possible conserved function in food-related behaviours. First identified for its role in the foraging behaviour of fruit flies, the PKG encoded by the foraging gene had since been associated with the maturation of behaviour (from nurse to forager)in honey bees and the roaming and dwelling food-related locomotion in nematodes. These parallels encouraged us to construct protein phylogenies using 32 PKG sequences that include 19 species. Our analyses suggest five possible evolutionary histories that can explain the apparent conserved link between PKG and behaviour in fruit flies, honey bees and nematodes. Three of these raise the hypothesis that PKG influences the food-related behaviours of a wide variety of animals including vertebrates. Moreover it appears that the PKG gene was duplicated some time between the evolution of nematodes and a common ancestor of vertebrates and insects whereby current evidence suggest only the for-like PKG might be associated with food-related behaviour.

Neighbour joining trees depicting the evolutionary relationships of 32 PKG kinase domain and C-terminal amino acid sequences spanning 19 species of protozoans and metazoans. Values at the nodes represent the results of 5000 bootstrap replications. Lineages with known behavioral links with PKG are indicated by grey branches.
Using the information above,and knowing that the PKG encoded by the foraging gene has recently been associated with the maturation of out-of-nest behavior in honeybees,what would be a logical explanation for this relationship?

A)As animals mature,they require more food;therefore,PKG levels must increase.
B)As animals mature,they are more likely to forage;therefore,PKG levels must increase.
C)As animals mature,they respond to pheromones from the queen,which increases PKG levels.
D)As animals mature,they are able to fly,an activity that is connected to the increase in PKG levels.

Question 27

You observe that by flashing a small light in a particular sequence,you can attract male fireflies of a certain species.You begin to think how this signal may be used against these males.Which of the hypotheses seems to be the most logical?

A)This particular signal will be used commonly by other firefly species as a way to lure males and prey on them.
B)This particular signal will be used only by this species of firefly.
C)This particular signal will be used widely by males of this species in territorial disputes.
D)This particular signal will be used rarely by other firefly species as a way to lure males and prey on them.

Question 28

Figure 51.2
In the figure above,do the data support the hypothesis that females need spring-like light conditions to produce mature follicles?

A)yes
B)no
C)cannot be determined

Question 29

If phototaxis is orientation toward light,what would be the proper term to describe ants following a trail of their own pheromones?

A)chemotaxis
B)pheromotaxis
C)hormotaxis
D)stereotaxis

Question 30

Which of the following experiments best addresses the hypothesis that moths stop flying in response to high-intensity bat sounds?

A)Isolate and characterize the neurons that control flight muscle.
B)Play prerecorded high-intensity bat sounds to flying moths.
C)Observe responses of moths to bats in nature.
D)Put bats and moths in an enclosure and make detailed observations of predator-prey interactions.

Question 31

Figure 51.4
In the diagrams shown in the figure above,which dance is indicating that the food is the farthest from the hive?

A)dance A
B)dance B
C)dance C
D)All of the above indicate the same distance from the hive.

Question 32

Migration in birds is guided in part by

A)celestial navigation.
B)temperature changes.
C)olfactory cues.
D)day-length changes caused by latitude.

Question 33

It is rather easy to understand why relatives help each other in the animal kingdom-they share some of the same genes,and some self-sacrificing behaviour will help the greater sum of their genes.What would be a reason for self-sacrificing behaviour to have evolved in animals that are unrelated?

A)This behaviour might elicit a benefit at some future point in time.
B)This behaviour might have aided groups of unrelated animals.
C)This behaviour might have arisen due to genetic drift.
D)Answers A and B both apply.
E)Answers A and C both apply.

Question 34

What was the main reason the honeybees would switch from the "round dance" to the "waggle dance"?

A)The ratio of females to males in the hive shifted.
B)The preferred food source was farther away.
C)The original food source was exhausted.
D)An intruder approached the hive.

Question 35

How could you test whether male dewlaps (a colourful flap of skin hanging from an anole lizard's throat)were an important cue for female egg production?

A)Remove dewlaps from females and measure corresponding egg production.
B)Relate size of male dewlap to female dewlap.
C)Remove dewlaps from courting males and measure corresponding female egg production.
D)All of the above answers apply.

Question 36

In red-winged blackbirds,which of the following stimuli elicited the greatest territorial defense response?

A)playing a recording of a blackbird call in the territory
B)presenting a model of a male in the territory
C)presenting both the model of a male,and playing the recording
D)All of the above elicited equal responses.

Question 37

Homing pigeons' ability to always return to their home,no matter where they are released,is an excellent example of

A)piloting.
B)compass orientation.
C)true navigation.
D)all of the above.

Question 38

A lizard's bobbing dewlap (a colorful flap of skin hanging from an Anolis lizard's throat)is an example of a

A)stimulus.
B)reflex.
C)signal.
D)communication.

Question 39

Figure 51.3
What does the figure above show about the nature of the "waggle dance"?

A)The waggle dance is random in relation to the food source.
B)The vigor of the waggle dance indicates the size of the food source.
C)The direction of the waggle dance indicates the location of the food relative to the Sun.
D)The direction of the waggle dance indicates the location of the hive relative to the Sun.
E)The vigor of the waggle dance indicates the location of the food relative to the Sun.