Behavioral Ecology

This flashcard set covers key concepts from behavioral ecology, including definitions of proximate and ultimate causes, optimality models, and the costs and benefits of group living.

Behavioral Ecology

A subset of organismal ecology that studies behavioral adaptations evolved in response to ecological selection pressures.

Proximate Causes

Mechanisms that explain how actions occur, including genetic, neurological, hormonal, and skeletal-muscular factors.

Ultimate Causes

Explanations for why actions occur, based on evolutionary consequences and history.

Optimality Modeling

A framework predicting that animals should behave in ways that maximize the difference between the benefit and cost of a behavior.

Cost-Benefit Analysis

An assessment to determine if the cost of an action is less than the expected benefit.

Dilution Effect

The reduced probability of predation to an individual animal when it is part of a larger group.

Living in Groups

A behavior that has both costs and benefits, with group size reflecting a balance between these.

Tinbergen’s Four Questions

A framework asking about the mechanisms (proximate), development (ontogeny), adaptive significance (ultimate), and phylogeny of behavior.

Risk-sensitive Foraging

Behavior in which animals assess the risk of predation in relation to the availability of food.

Argentine Ant Behavior

A study examining how 'supercolonies' form and the differences in behavior between populations from different regions.