Deck 50: Behavioral Ecology

Question 1

Which of the following is required for a behavioral trait to evolve by natural selection?

A) The behavior is determined entirely by genes.
B) The behavior is the same in all individuals in the population.
C) An individual's reproductive success depends in part on how the behavior is performed.
D) The behavior is not genetically inherited.
E) An individual's phenotype is not influenced by its genotype.

Answer 1

C

Question 2

A cage containing male mosquitoes has a small earphone placed on top, through which the sound of a female mosquito is played. All the males immediately fly to the earphone and go through all of the steps of copulation. What is the best explanation for this behavior?

A) The males learn to associate the sound with females.
B) Copulation is a fixed action pattern, and the female flight sound is a sign stimulus that initiates it.
C) The sound from the earphone irritates the male mosquitoes, causing them to attempt to sting it.
D) The reproductive drive is so strong that when males are deprived of females, they will attempt to mate with anything that has even the slightest female characteristic.
E) Through classical conditioning, the male mosquitoes have associated the inappropriate stimulus from the earphone with the normal response of copulation.

Answer 2

B

Question 3

The proximate causes of behavior are interactions with the environment, but behavior is ultimately shaped by ________.

A) hormones
B) evolution
C) sexuality
D) pheromones
E) the nervous system

Answer 3

B

Question 4

During a field trip, an instructor touched a moth resting on a tree trunk. The moth raised its forewings to reveal large eyespots on its hind wings. The instructor asked why the moth lifted its wings. One student answered that sensory receptors had fired and triggered a neuronal reflex culminating in the contraction of certain muscles. A second student responded that the behavior might frighten predators. Which statement best describes these explanations?

A) The first explanation is correct, but the second is incorrect.
B) The first explanation refers to proximate causation, whereas the second refers to ultimate causation.
C) The first explanation is biological, whereas the second is philosophical.
D) The first explanation is testable as a scientific hypothesis, whereas the second is not.
E) Both explanations are reasonable and simply represent a difference of opinion.

Question 5

Which of the following statements about evolution of behavior is correct?

A) Natural selection will favor behavior that enhances survival and reproduction.
B) An animal may show behavior that minimizes reproductive fitness.
C) If a behavior is less than optimal, it will eventually become optimal through natural selection.
D) Innate behaviors cannot be altered by natural selection.

Question 6

Use the following information to answer the following 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 behavior. 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 behavioral phenotypes. We investigate the evolutionary history of cGMP-dependent protein kinase (PKG) and its possible conserved function in food-related behaviors. First identified for its role in the foraging behavior of fruit flies, the PKG encoded by the foraging gene had since been associated with the maturation of behavior (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 behavior in fruit flies, honey bees, and nematodes. Three of these raise the hypothesis that PKG influences the food-related behaviors 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 suggests only the for-like PKG might be associated with food-related behavior. These are neighbor joining trees that depict 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 gray branches.
Using the figure and the accompanying paragraph, 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? As animals mature, they ________.

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

Question 7

Which of the following might affect the foraging behavior of an animal in the context of optimal foraging?
I) risk of predation
II) prey size
III) prey defenses
IV) prey density

A) only I and III
B) only II and IV
C) only II, III, and IV
D) only I, II, and III
E) I, II, III, and IV

Question 8

Why would you expect some white-fronted bee-eaters to fly very far away from their nests to forage when there are food sources nearby? Base your answer on your knowledge of cost-benefit analyses,

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.

Question 9

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. What experiment would you perform next to determine that the color initiated the defense response?

A) Repeat the experiment using a blue patch instead of an orange patch.
B) Repeat the experiment by removing the patch completely.
C) Repeat the experiment by using a model of a robin that was twice the size of a normal robin but with a small orange patch.
D) Repeat the experiment by using a model of a robin that had an orange patch that was twice the size of a normal patch.

Question 10

The accompanying graph shows data collected to test the hypothesis that the dewlap extension and the push-up displays of Anolis lizards play a role in sexual selection. Given this data, what can you conclude?

A) The dewlap extension does not play a role in sexual selection, but push-up frequencies do.
B) Both the dewlap extension and the push-up frequencies play a role in sexual selection.
C) Neither the dewlap extension nor the push-up frequencies play a role in sexual selection.
D) The dewlap extension plays a role in sexual selection, but the push-up frequencies do not.

Question 11

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

A) reflex
B) signal
C) innate releasing mechanism
D) structure necessary for respiration

Question 12

A female cat in heat urinates more often and in many places. Male cats are attracted to the urine deposits. Which of the following is a proximate cause of this increased urination?

A) It announces to the males that she is in heat.
B) Female cats that did this in the past attracted more males.
C) It is a result of hormonal changes associated with her reproductive cycle.
D) The female cat learned the behavior from observing other cats.

Question 13

Use the following information to answer the following 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 behavior. 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 behavioral phenotypes. We investigate the evolutionary history of cGMP-dependent protein kinase (PKG) and its possible conserved function in food-related behaviors. First identified for its role in the foraging behavior of fruit flies, the PKG encoded by the foraging gene had since been associated with the maturation of behavior (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 behavior in fruit flies, honey bees, and nematodes. Three of these raise the hypothesis that PKG influences the food-related behaviors 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 suggests only the for-like PKG might be associated with food-related behavior. These are neighbor joining trees that depict 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 gray branches.
Look at the evolutionary relationship of protein kinases in the figure. Knowing that 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 behaviors 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 behaviors in a wide variety of animals, and there is enormous variation in amino acid sequences between taxa.
E) PKG influences food-related behaviors in a wide variety of animals, and there is likely a conserved evolutionary relationship between these genes and their behavioral phenotype.

Question 14

Which of the following is TRUE of innate behaviors? Innate behaviors ________.

A) are only weakly influenced by genes
B) occur in invertebrates and some vertebrates but not mammals
C) are limited to invertebrate animals
D) are expressed in most individuals in a population

Question 15

If you ask a question about behavior that concerns how it works or what its mechanism is, you are asking a question that involves ________.

A) ultimate causation
B) proximate causation
C) adaptive significance
D) survival value
E) only the neurological level of analysis

Question 16

In house sparrows (Passer domesticus) it is generally found that both males and females care for the eggs and young. However, some male house sparrows do not provide parental care. In addition, it is known that young that receive parental care from both the male and female are more likely to survive to fledging (leaving the nest). Which of the following activities by males that do NOT provide parental care would represent the most beneficial trade-off for the reduced survival of their offspring?

A) attacking the nests of neighboring males
B) mating with additional females and fathering more eggs
C) eating to build up energy stores for migration
D) grooming to eliminate parasites from their feathers

Question 17

Feeding behavior with a high-energy intake-to-expenditure ratio is called ________.

A) herbivory
B) autotrophy
C) heterotrophy
D) search scavenging
E) optimal foraging

Question 18

In the accompanying figure, which of the following conclusions is most logical based on the data?

A) Females produce more eggs faster when exposed to breeding males.
B) Females produce eggs faster when exposed to many males than do females paired with a male.
C) All non-isolated females do just as well as isolated females.
D) After four weeks together, females with males produce mature follicles to the same extent as females without males.

Question 19

Learning has the most influence on behavior when ________.

A) making mistakes does not result in death
B) animals reproduce asexually
C) animals have enormous cognitive ability
D) making mistakes results in death

Question 20

Which of the following examples describes a behavioral pattern that results from a proximate cause?

A) A cat kills a mouse to obtain nutrition.
B) A male sheep fights with another male because that behavior helps to improve its social position.
C) A female bird lays its eggs because the amount of daylight is decreasing slightly each day.
D) A goose squats and freezes motionless to escape a predator.
E) A cockroach runs into a crack in the wall to avoid being stepped on.

Question 21

Animal communication involves what type of sensory information?
I) visual
II) auditory
III) olfactory
IV) tactile

A) only I and III
B) only II and IV
C) only II, III, and IV
D) only I, II, and III
E) I, II, III, and IV

Question 22

Recent research has shown that von Frisch was not completely correct about the difference between the round dance and waggle dance. The new information suggests that in honeybees, the ________.

A) waggle dance communicates information about the quality of the food
B) round dance communicates direction as well as distance
C) waggle dance communicates the type of food
D) round dance communicates the time of day the food will be available
E) waggle dance communicates the favored food of the hive

Question 23

A pied kingfisher in its first year of life helps in the feeding of three full siblings who would not have survived without the helper's efforts. What is its indirect fitness in its first year?

A) 0.25
B) 0.50
C) 0.75
D) 1.00
E) 1.50

Question 24

According to Hamilton's rule, ________.

A) natural selection does not favor altruistic behavior that causes the death of the altruist
B) natural selection favors altruistic acts when the resulting benefit to the beneficiary, corrected for relatedness, exceeds the cost to the altruist
C) natural selection is more likely to favor altruistic behavior that benefits an offspring than altruistic behavior that benefits a sibling
D) the effects of kin selection are larger than the effects of direct natural selection on individuals
E) altruism is always reciprocal

Question 25

From the accompanying figure, what can we determine about the location of the food source?

A) The waggle dance in the top figure indicates that the food is directly under the hive.
B) The waggle dance in the bottom figure indicates that the food is to the west of the hive.
C) The waggle dance in the top figure indicates that the food is close to the hive.
D) The waggle dance in the bottom figure indicates that the food is 90 degrees to the right of the Sun.
E) The vigor of the waggle dance indicates the location of the food relative to the Sun.

Question 26

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
E) conditioning

Question 27

Animals that help other animals of the same species ________.

A) have excess energy reserves
B) are bigger and stronger than the other animals
C) are usually related to the other animals helped
D) are always male
E) have defective genes controlling their behavior

Question 28

Scientists believe that the direction birds go when migrating is guided in part by ________.
I) the stars in the night sky
II) the Sun during the day
III) the magnetic field of the Earth

A) only I
B) only II
C) only III
D) only II and III
E) I, II, and III

Question 29

If a prairie dog had the opportunity to perform an altruistic act (that is, give an alarm call) to help its relatives, which combination of the following relatives would the prairie dog be most likely to help (base your answer solely on the genetic relationships)?

A) four cousins and one brother
B) two nieces, two cousins, and one half-brother
C) two half-sisters and two nieces
D) one son, one niece, and one half-sister
E) The prairie dog would be equally likely to act altruistically to each of the combinations described.

Question 30

Karl von Frisch demonstrated that European honeybees communicate the location of a distant food source by ________.

A) performing a short, straight run during a round dance
B) performing a waggle dance with a run length proportionate to the food distance
C) performing a round dance with fast rotations
D) emanating minute amounts of stimulus pheromone
E) varying wing vibration frequency

Question 31

Upon returning to its hive, a European honeybee communicates to other worker bees the presence of a nearby food source it has discovered by ________.

A) vibrating its wings at varying frequencies
B) performing a round dance
C) performing a waggle dance
D) visual cues
E) All of the listed responses are correct.

Question 32

The presence of altruistic behavior is most likely due to kin selection, a theory maintaining that ________.

A) aggression between sexes promotes the survival of the fittest individuals
B) genes enhance survival of copies of themselves by directing organisms to assist others who share those genes
C) companionship is advantageous to animals because in the future they can help each other
D) critical thinking abilities are normal traits for animals and they have arisen, like other traits, through natural selection
E) natural selection has generally favored the evolution of exaggerated aggressive and submissive behaviors to resolve conflict without grave harm to participants

Question 33

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) an innate behavior
D) true navigation

Question 34

A pied kingfisher in its first year of life helps in the feeding of three full siblings who would not have made it without the helper's efforts. In this first year the bird does not raise any of its own offspring. In the second year of its life the pied kingfisher mates and raises two of its own offspring. After the first two years, what is the inclusive fitness of the pied kingfisher?

A) 0.75
B) 1.50
C) 2.50
D) 3.00

Question 35

With regard to understanding the evolution of cooperation, the principal prediction that can be made from the expression Br > C is that ________.

A) natural selection will favor cooperation among close relatives
B) cooperation evolves because it benefits all members of a species
C) cooperation evolves because it enhances the species' fitness
D) selection favors self-sacrifice in reproduction
E) natural selection will favor cooperation among any individuals

Question 36

Which of the following has a coefficient of relatedness of 0.25? Assume all are blood relatives.

A) a father to his daughter
B) a mother to her son
C) an uncle to his nephew
D) a brother to his brother
E) a sister to her brother

Question 37

How do altruistic behaviors arise through natural selection?

A) By his or her actions, the altruist increases the likelihood that some of its genes will be passed on to the next generation.
B) The altruist is appreciated by other members of the population because its survivability has been enhanced by virtue of its risky behavior.
C) Animals that perform altruistic acts are allowed by their population to breed more, thereby passing on their behavior genes to future generations.
D) Altruistic behaviors lower stress in populations, which increases the survivability of all the members of the population.

Question 38

In the second year of its life a pied kingfisher mates and raises two of its own offspring. What is its direct fitness in this second year of its life?

A) 0.50
B) 1.00
C) 1.50
D) 2.00

Question 39

If the accompanying figure shows the dances of bees in a hive at twelve noon on March 21 in the northern hemisphere, which dance is communicating that the food is to the south of the hive?

A) dance A
B) dance B
C) dance C
D) It is not possible to tell if any of the dances indicate the food is to the south of the hive.

Question 40

In Belding's ground squirrels, it is mostly the females that behave altruistically by sounding alarm calls. What is the likely reason for this distinction?

A) Males have smaller vocal cords and are less likely to make sounds.
B) Females invest more in foraging and food stores, so they are more defensive.
C) Females settle in the area in which they were born, so the alarm is more likely to warn kin.
D) The sex ratio is biased.
E) Males forage in areas separate from females; therefore, alarm calls are useless.