BIO EXAM #1

what is animal behavior

what an animal does and how it does it

what are the two components to behavior

innate and learned (modified through experiences)

what are examples of innate behavior

• rattlesnake coiling before striking

• cockroaches running into the dark when there’s light

• birds singing

what are motor programs

fixed-action patterns

what are trigger programs

when there’s a releaser (sign stimulus)

what are examples of motor programs

• A Graylag goose’s egg rolls out of its nest (fixed action)

—> the releaser is the egg being removed from the nest

• Stickleback (aggression)

—> the releaser is the red stripe on its ventral surface, stimulating aggression

• Cuckoo (brood parasitism) laying eggs in another bird’s nest

—> Cuckoo’s egg hatches first, pushing native eggs from nest

—> Cuckoo are raised as host’s own

what is kinetic movement

random movement

what is taxis movement

directional movement

what is positive taxis

when it moves towards its stimulus

what is negative taxis

when it moves away from its stimulus

what is habituation

when an animal no longer responds to non-harmful or irrelevant stimulus in a defensive, distressful, or protective manner

what is an example of habituation

when you go on a safari tour, the animals do not react because they have imprinted on the shape of the car

what is imprinting

genetic and behavioral elements used to recognize members of own species and parents

what is parental imprinting

• offspring imprint on the first moving object it sees

• this often happens at very early age

• it is irreversible, with both parent and offspring

what is classical conditioning

the association between normal body function (reflex) and new (nonspecific) stimulus

what is operant conditioning

when an animal interacts with some part of the environment

what is positive reinforcement

when you add something that causes a response

• when you play frisbee, reward food for playing

what is negative reinforcement

when you take something away that causes a response

• taking antacids when you eat spicy foods

what is cognition (problem solving)

the thinking, processing information, learning, and reasoning that involves applying past experiences to figure something out

• when a Chimpanzee cracks a nut, it figures out what can crack it and the size needed

what are biological rhythms

metabolism and or behavior synchronized with cyclical changes in environment (internal/external)

what are advantages of biological rhytms

it allows different species to live and feed in the same location

define circadian

the approximate length of day

define lunar

the cycle of the moon

define circannual

yearly

define diurnal

active during the day

define nocturnal

active during the night

define crepuscular

active at dawn and/or dusk

what is migration

the moving from one location to another

what is long range migration

when traveling in water or air (move greater distances/faster)

what is short range migration

traveling on land (uses more energy)

what are auditory signals

a short, simple signal sound (frog croaking)

• you can hear in the dark, and it travels long distances

what are chemical signals

a pheromone released into the environment used to have more specific communication among species

• good for long distances

• only small amounts required

• mark territory, feeding locations, and for mating

what are tactile signals

using touch to communicate

• use touch to approach when mating

what are electrical signals

identify species, identify gender, detect prey, and incapacitate prey

what is agnostic behavior

a social behavior related to fighting (or avoidance thereof)

what is threatening behavior

when there is intent to attack or be hostile

what is aggressive behavior

when actions are intended to harm (physical violence)

what is submissive behavior

when they will not challenge another individual

define territoriality

the range of the entire home area that animal seldom leaves

define territory

a small but actively defended part of a range

• needed resouces

• where breeding and rearing young occur

what are courtship rituals

ensuring engagement of male and female of the same species in reproduction

• may need to be triggered for nest building/ovulation

• involves specific behavioral instincts

what is population density

a number per unit area or volume

what is population dispersion

how the population is distributed over an area

define a clumped pop.

lots of resources, often cities

define a uniform pop.

when they are selfish of their own needs

define a random pop.

they stay wherever they want, but their needs are in that area

what does a J-shaped curve represent (exponential)

the growth when a population increases under optimal conditions

what are limiting factors

availability of food, water, shelter, essential resources, disease, and predation

what is carrying capacity (K)

it determines how large a population becomes, assuming a non-changing set of conditions

• changes with environmental changes (dynamic)

what does an S-shaped growth curve represent

carrying capacity

• population size fluctuates around K

what are density dependent factors

when the population size limits growth due to the size of the population

• all individuals are affected equally

define negative feedback mechanism

when the pop. is more clustered = increased mortality and/or decreased birth rate

• slower pop. growth and decreased density

• competition increases and so does predation and disease

what is competition

when two or more individuals attempt to use the same, limited essential resources

what is intraspecific competition

occurs between individuals within a pop./species

what is interspecific competition

occurs between different pop./species

what are density-independent factors

they are not related to pop. size or number of individuals per unit area

• randomly affects individuals

• abiotic factors (hurricanes, floods, blizzards)

• ex: mosquitoes: pop. decrease in winter, increases in spring

what populations are more affected by density-independent factors

r-selected populations

define survivorship curves/mortality

the probability a given individual in a pop. or cohort will survive to some age

type I survivorship curve

when mortality is the greatest later in life

type II survivorship curve

when death is equally likely at any age

type III survivorship curve

when the young are more likely to die

define replacement level fertility pyramid

when there is a relatively even number in all age groups including pre-reproductive years

define population increase pyramid

pre-reproductive age group is larger than the upper age groups that mature and reproduce, creating an increase in numbers

define fundamental niche

when resources are used by a species in absence of competition or other biotic factors

define realized niche

where an animal ultimately fits into the environment in the presence of biotic factors such as competition, predation, and parasitism

define competitive exclusion principle

when two species cannot occupy the same niche in the same community for an indefinite time

• one species is excluded by the other due to competition for resources

define resource partitioning

when differences in resource use reduces competition between similar species in the same area

• time of feeding, location of feeding, and location of nest sites

define character displacement

when there is a divergence in structural, ecological, or behavioral characteristics

• reduces competition among some species when ranges overlap

define predation

one species (predator) consumes another individual (prey) that is often a member of a different species

• along with coevolution, affects species interaction

define chemical strategies of pred-prey

uses molecules, scents, and toxins to hunt, hide, warn, and survive

• gland secretions

• Bombardier Beetle & Snakes

define toxic transfer strategies of pred-prey

when poisons and venoms affect how species fight, interact, and eat

• Monarch Caterpillar: their milkweed contains latex that is toxic

define startle coloration

a type of mimicry (resembling eyes), but can be any unexpected display of color or shape

define warning coloration

displaying bright colors or patterns that indicates their poisonous and to stay away

define cryptic coloration

when they blend in with their environment

define structural camouflage

• Sea Horses live in sea lettuce

• Mantis live in flowers

define ambush

a surprise attack while lying down waiting for prey concealed

define batesian mimicry

a harmless species that mimics colors and patterns of poisonous or harmful species

define mullerian mimicry

when two species reinforce coloration or patterns indicating they’re harmful/distateful prey

define symbiosis

the relationship between individuals of two or more species, generally one lives in or on another

define keystone species

they affect the composition and survival of a community, if they leave the community collapses

• low numbers

• impact is disproportionate to their numbers

define dominant species

when they are present in great abundance and/or biomass so large it has an effect on communities

define indicator species

a species that tells something about the environment (good or bad)

define primary succession

the growth of communities in an area where there is no soil

define secondary succession

when an ecosystem regrows after a disturbance that cleared all its vegetation, but leaves the soil intact

define a mature (climax) community

an older community that still exists in a state of continual disturbances

how much energy is lost in each energy flow level

90% of energy, so 10% is transferred

define a pyramid of biomass

the total biomass at each successive trophic level

define a pyramid of energy

the energy content of biomass at each trophic level

describe the energy pyramid in a desert

• aren’t active during the day

• more primary producers, less herbivors, even less carnivores

describe the energy pyramid in a tundra

• primary producers: low-growing plants (trees/greenery)

• primary consumers: herbivores

• secondary producers: predators

describe the energy pyramid in a temperate forest

• primary producers: trees, shrubs, ferns, grasses, flowers

• primary consumers: herbivores.. squirrels, deer, rats

• secondary consumers: predators.. foxes, frogs, badgers

• tertiary consumers: predators.. bears

define genetic diversity

the genetic variety within a species

define species diversity

the number of species, also known as richness

define ecosystem diversity

the variety of ecosystems on Earth

define extant species

a species that is currently living

define threatened species

they are likely to become endangered throughout all or significant parts of its life

define endangered species

when there is imminent danger of extinction without intervention, likely to go extinct

define persistence poisons

extremely stable in environment, tends to last years/decades/centuries