Deck 7: Primate Behavior

Question 1

Chest slapping and tearing vegetation by gorillas and charging an opponent while screaming by chimpanzees are examples of

A)reassurance gestures.
B)submission.
C)displays.
D)involuntary behavior.
E)affiliative behavior.

Answer 1

displays.

Question 2

K-selection refers to

A)species that produce large numbers of offspring and invest little to no parental care.
B)species that become extinct after a few generations.
C)species that produce relatively few offspring but invest increased parental care.
D)only egg-laying species.
E)all species except primates.

Answer 2

species that produce relatively few offspring but invest increased parental care.

Question 3

The study of the evolution of behavior, emphasizing the role of ecological factors as agents of natural selection is known as

A)sociobiology.
B)biological-ecology.
C)socioecology.
D)evolutionary ecology.
E)behavioral ecology.

Answer 3

behavioral ecology.

Question 4

According to Wrangham, large multimale-multifemale groups evolved because

A)males were attracted to females living together.
B)territorial fear of female takeover.
C)mainly diurnal activities.
D)dominant behaviors and control.
E)extreme sexual dimorphism.

Question 5

With regards to BMR, it is

A)the rate at which energy is used by the body during exercise.
B)the rate at which energy is used by the body at rest.
C)not correlated with body size.
D)not an important factor influencing primate social structure.
E)a type of primate behavior.

Question 6

Which of the following factors does NOT have an influence on primate social behavior?

A)The distribution of resources
B)The distribution of predators
C)Life histories
D)Higher intelligence
E)Basal Metabolic Rate

Question 7

Permanent male-female bonds are

A)common among nonhuman primates.
B)not common among nonhuman primates.
C)the basis of monogamous pairing typical of ALL nonhuman primate species.
D)nonexistent in primates.
E)known only in orangutans.

Question 8

Physiological responses not under voluntary control are called

A)instinctual.
B)symbolic.
C)autonomic.
D)ritualized.
E)genetically determined.

Question 9

In species containing several females and one or several males, males tend to dominate except for with

A)chimpanzees.
B)gorillas.
C)baboons.
D)lemurs.
E)orangutans.

Question 10

All of the following are examples of amicable behaviors EXCEPT

A)touching.
B)grooming.
C)hand holding.
D)hugging.
E)crouching.

Question 11

Among bonobos, male and female bonds

A)can result in mating, even when the female is not in estrus.
B)never result in mating unless a female is in estrus.
C)are not very common due to high rates of aggression.
D)tend to increase tension and violence in the group.
E)tend to increase the threat of predators.

Question 12

In the context of social groups, dominance hierarchies

A)are maintained by females only.
B)are maintained by males only.
C)are present in all primate species.
D)impose a certain amount of order within the group.
E)have not been studied by primatologists.

Question 13

___________ strengthens social relationships and indicates submission or reassurance in primate species.

A)Play
B)Coalition formation
C)Gestures
D)Food sharing
E)Social grooming

Question 14

Species that produce relatively large numbers of offspring and invest little parental care are said to be

A)K-selected.
B)r-selected
C)p-selected.
D)alloparental.
E)sympatric.

Question 15

Which is NOT an example of an affiliative behavior?

A)Displays
B)Reconciliation
C)Consolation
D)Amicable interactions
E)Grooming

Question 16

Infanticide by adult males

A)is rare in primates.
B)appears to serve no function.
C)is performed as a means of population control.
D)is not resisted by females, including the mother.
E)has been reported for a number of primate species.

Question 17

Some of the deliberate nonhuman primate behaviors that serve as communication include all of the following EXCEPT

A)spoken language.
B)displays.
C)vocalizations.
D)gestures.
E)facial expressions.

Question 18

Which of the following statements is generally TRUE?

A)Adult primate males tend to be dominant to females.
B)Dominant individuals appear to be the only ones who have reproductive success.
C)Dominant animals are always males.
D)Dominance hierarchies usually reduce the amount of actual physical violence.
E)Dominance hierarchies are created only  by males.

Question 19

Behavioral genetics

A)is the study of how social systems influence disease patterns.
B)was a theory first proposed by Charles Darwin.
C)is the study of how genes affect behavior.
D)is no longer considered a valid theoretical approach.
E)emphasizes the role of ecological variables in shaping social behaviors.

Question 20

A mating system  in which a male mates with more than one female  is said to be

A)monogamous.
B)polygynous.
C)sympatric.
D)altruistic.
E)multimale-multifemale.

Question 21

The hypothesis that individuals are more likely to perform risky behavior for a relative is known as

A)reciprocal altruism.
B)kin selection.
C)group selection.
D)empathy.
E)biological continuum.

Question 22

The basic primate social unit

A)is the mother and infant.
B)is the father and infant.
C)is the male and female.
D)are sibling relationships.
E)is one male and several females.

Question 23

In most people, language function is

A)located in the left hemisphere of the brain.
B)controlled by only a few cells located in one specific area of the cortex.
C)controlled only by the same areas that are used in the production of all vocalizations in nonhuman primates.
D)simply a result of increased brain size.
E)not related to the reorganization of neurological structures during the course of human evolution.

Question 24

Encounters between male chimpanzees from different groups

A)are always friendly.
B)never occur.
C)are frequently accompanied by some form of aggression.
D)only occur at Gombe.
E)none of these

Question 25

To state that humans are part of a biological continuum

A)means that humans are inherently superior to all other species in every way.
B)means that no other species is closely related to humans.
C)means that human neurological processes are unique.
D)emphasizes the uniqueness of humans in all respects.
E)means that humans are related to other species through a common ancestor and behaviors seen in other species are also seen in humans to varying degrees.

Question 26

Examples of  prosocial behavior include all of the following EXCEPT

A)assistance.
B)sharing;
C)caregiving.
D)compassion.
E)communication.

Question 27

Which species did Beatrice and Allen Gardner teach to use American Sign Language?

A)Baboons
B)Chimpanzees
C)Macaques
D)Capuchins
E)Tarsiers

Question 28

The social brain hypothesis proposes that primate brains increased in relative size and complexity because

A)of the demands of social living.
B)primates need complex brains to be familiar with their home range.
C)primates often eat food that is difficult to extract (such as underground roots).
D)males are dominant to females.
E)their language abilities are limited.

Question 29

The fact that chimpanzees sometimes select a stem for eventual use in "termite fishing" and begin stripping its leaves even before the termite mound is in sight implies

A)nothing about chimpanzee intelligence.
B)considerable planning and forethought.
C)that there is a genetic basis for this activity.
D)that the chimp merely wants to eat the stem without its leaves.
E)none of these.

Question 30

All of the following are correct about chimpanzee tools, EXCEPT

A)using rocks to crack nuts.
B)using leaves as sponges.
C)building temporary shelters when it rains.
D)making thrusting spears for capturing galagos.
E)show regional variation in types of tools used.

Question 31

The traditional view of nonhuman communication has been that nonhumans, including primates,

A)are perfectly capable of conveying information about the external environment or their emotional state.
B)use symbolic communication.
C)use language in the same manner as humans.
D)can convey information about events in the past and future.
E)communicate information relating to their emotional state and consists of mostly involuntary vocalization.

Question 32

The FOXP2 gene

A)is unique to humans.
B)is a gene that influences cognitive abilities, mainly planning.
C)has not been fully studied and deciphered in terms of its function.
D)is the first gene demonstrated to influence language development.
E)produces a protein that inhibits the expression of all other genes.

Question 33

Vervet monkey vocalizations

A)are involuntary responses to external stimuli.
B)are voluntary responses to external stimuli.
C)refer solely to the emotional state of the individual.
D)includes information about past and present events.
E)are rare and mainly a result of pain or discomfort.

Question 34

In human primates, the most rapid period of brain development occurs

A)several months after birth.
B)during adolescence.
C)before birth.
D)within the first five years after birth.
E)during early adulthood.

Question 35

Chimpanzee attacks on members of other groups

A)are definitely motivated by territoriality.
B)never result in injury.
C)always occur in the form of displays and nothing more.
D)can be extremely brutal and result in severe injury or death.
E)are so rare that only one or two have been observed.

Question 36

Which is NOT true about human language?

A)It uses symbols that refer to concepts, people, objects, etc.
B)It is limited to communicating about the past.
C)It is partly based on the human ability to think symbolically.
D)It contains written and spoken symbols.
E)It contains arbitrary sets of symbols.

Question 37

Stone tool manufacture

A)has been observed in West African chimpanzee groups.
B)has not been observed in free-ranging chimpanzees.
C)is common among free-ranging bonobos.
D)has not been observed in any captive nonhuman primate.
E)is uniquely a human characteristic.

Question 38

From an evolutionary perspective, ape language experiments

A)give us no clues into the origins of human language.
B)indicate that human language capabilities must have been present in the last common ancestor of hominids and the African apes.
C)indicate that apes will soon evolve human-like language capabilities.
D)suggest some clues as to the origin of human language.
E)indicate no common ancestral characteristics.

Question 39

The core area is that portion of the home range

A)that contains the highest concentration of resources.
B)that is rarely defended against intrusion.
C)where the group is most likely to get temporary shelter.
D)only important to gorillas.
E)where temporary resources may be found.

Question 40

The language experiments with chimpanzees, bonobos, and gorillas indicate that they

A)lack the ability to communicate symbolically.
B)can learn to use up to 100 spoken words.
C)have some ability to use signs to communicate.
D)have human-like vocal tract anatomies.
E)think symbolically in the same way humans do.

Question 41

Vervet monkeys use specific vocalizations to refer to predators such as snakes, birds of prey, and leopards.

Question 42

Gorillas are by far the most prosocial of species.

Question 43

Hanuman langurs are the only primates that practice infanticide.

Question 44

Large primate groups are advantageous because they increase the likelihood of early predator detection.

Question 45

Monkeys and apes raised in captivity without contact with their own mothers may be afraid of their own offspring and try to kill it.

Question 46

All primate communication is autonomic in nature.

Question 47

The differences between humans and our primate relatives, especially chimpanzees and bonobos, are primarily quantitative and not qualitative.

Question 48

Reports from psychologists working with chimpanzees show that apes can learn to interpret visual signs and use them in communication.

Question 49

Kanzi, a male bonobo, demonstrated the ability to spontaneously acquire and use symbols at a young age.

Question 50

Dominance hierarchies usually reduce the amount of actual physical violence within a group.

Question 51

Life history traits are characteristics or developmental stages that typify members of a given species and that affect potential reproductive rates.

Question 52

In 1974, Jane Goodall and her team witnessed at least five unprovoked and brutal attacks by groups of aggressive chimpanzees.

Question 53

Scientists who use the behavioral ecology approach believe that primate behaviors have evolved through the operation of natural selection.

Question 54

Encephalization is the absolute brain size of a species uncorrected for body size.

Question 55

Savanna baboons avoid predators by fleeing into trees.

Question 56

Social relationships are not important to nonhuman primates and bonds between individuals usually do not last very long.

Question 57

Results of ape language experiments leave little doubt that apes can learn to interpret visual signs and use them to communicate.

Question 58

Sexual selection seems to be an important factor in the evolution of sexual dimorphism.

Question 59

Behavioral ecology is based on the assumption that all of the biological components of ecological systems evolved together.

Question 60

Gorillas exhibit more complex forms of tool use than any other nonhuman primate.

Question 61

Define the terms K-selection and r-selection. Explain which  primates are K-selected and r-selected.

Question 62

What are the benefits of large social groups? Discuss the factors that influence social structures in nonhuman primate groups. Cite a few examples.

Question 63

Define altruism, and discuss the evolutionary explanations of altruistic behaviors.

Question 64

What problems do you think might be associated with the behavioral ecology approach to explaining primate social structures?

Question 65

Discuss the importance of communication and include an analysis of affiliative behaviors and aggression.

Question 66

Explain why infanticide is used as a reproductive strategy. Give examples from the textbook to support your answer.

Question 67

Give an overview of primate cultural behavior, citing evidence from the research studies done.

Question 68

Contrast autonomic responses and behaviors with intentional behaviors that serve as communication.

Question 69

Explain the various language studies on nonhuman primates and their contributions.

Question 70

Cite some examples of affiliative behaviors and why they are important for group cohesion.

Question 71

What are dominance hierarchies, and what important functions do they serve?

Question 72

Explain the evidence for culture and language abilities in many nonhuman species. List specific examples.

Question 73

Describe the nature of encounters between different groups of male chimpanzees.

Question 74

Discuss the evolutionary explanation of infanticide in Hanuman langurs.

Question 75

Discuss four factors that affect the social structure of a given species.

Question 76

Describe the evolution of language in humans including the key regions of the brain and the importance of gene FOXP2.

Question 77

Explain the primate continuum. Identify and discuss two examples illustrating that humans are part of a biological continuum with other primate species.

Question 78

Explain the social brain hypothesis, and contrast it with other previous hypotheses for evolution of large brains in primates.