Animal Behaviour flashcards

Flashcards for animal behavior key terms and summaries from lecture notes.

Proximate questions

Questions that target a relatively direct cause or mechanism responsible for a trait.

Ultimate questions

Questions that target the evolutionary background of a trait.

Causation

The direct mechanism responsible for behavior, such as hormones and neuromuscular events.

Theory

An overarching concept that explains a number of facts about the natural world and generates testable predictions.

Natural selection

A process resulting in increased survival and reproduction relative to competing organisms.

Fitness

The relative ability of an organism to pass on its genes to the next generation.

Co-opted trait (exaptations)

An evolutionarily trait that previously had another function in an ancestor than it does now.

Preadaptation

A trait that undergoes modifications to gain a new function through natural selection.

Phylogeny

A hypothesis of evolutionary relationships between species.

Umwelt

The context in which an animal's behavior occurs, including its sensory environment and behavioral capabilities.

Nature-nurture debate

The discussion about what portion of behavior is of genetic origin (nature) and what portion comes from the environment (nurture).

Common gardening

A technique where animals (or plants) are maintained in the same environment while differences are observed to determine genetic influence on behavior.

Ecotype

A genetically differentiated population within a species that is adapted to a particular habitat.

Cladogram

A hypothesis of evolution within a group of species in a tree.

Cross-fostering

The transfer of offspring between mothers to separate the influences of genetics and environment on behavior.

Twin studies

Studies that separate genetic and environmental influences in (identical) twins, who are genetically the same, so differences come from the environment.

Inbred line

A population where closely related animals repeatedly reproduce, resulting in loss of genetic variation, similar to cloning.

Cloned animals

Genetically identical animals used to study genetic and environmental influences, allowing for larger samples and controlled conditions.

Heritability

The portion of phenotypic variation explained by genetic variation.

QTL (Quantitative Trait Locus)

A gene that, along with others, contributes to a phenotype.

Phenotypic variation

The total variation in phenotypes. (Vp = Vg + Ve)

Genetic variation

A measure of phenotypic variation due entirely to genotype. (Vg = Va - Vna)

Additive genetic variation

The portion of genetic variation due to differences between alleles that add up. (Va)

Nonadditive genetic variation

This is due to interactions of genes and gene dominance. (Vna)

Epistasis

Interaction between genes.

Broad-sense heritability

The portion of phenotypic variation explained by all genetic variation for that trait. (H2)

Narrow-sense heritability

The portion of phenotypic variation explained only by additive genetic variation for a trait. (h2 = Va/Vp)

Candidate gene

A gene known to play a key role in regulating a phenotype.

EST (Expressed Sequence Tag)

A genetic marker linked to a gene of interest that reports activity when the gene is expressed, allowing researchers to see where activity correlates with physiological and behavioral activity.

Drive theory

The idea that animals have a quantity of 'drive energy' expended on a task being performed, attempting to explain how animals invest effort in different tasks.

Animal welfare

The well-being and health of animals, including behavioral well-being, with anxiety and pain being major problems.

Behavioral homeostasis

The maintenance of appropriate living conditions through behavior to minimize fluctuations in these conditions.

Time budget

A quantification of how animals divide their time available for activities.

Feedback loop

When an animal repeatedly assesses conditions and adjusts behavior or physiology to reach target conditions.

Displacement behavior

The release of drive energy into an irrelevant task if the desired behavior cannot be performed.

Redirected behavior

The direction of behavior toward another individual or object.

SDB

A behavior that an individual can do on themself, like grooming, which can become pathological in anxious animals.

Repetitive behaviors

Stereotypical behaviors like pacing, usually due to energy that cannot be expended because a desired task cannot be performed.

Focal animal

An animal within a group that an observer is observing.

Behavioral syndrome and personality

Consistent expression of behavior or tendencies of an individual.

Biological rhythm

A behavior or physiological trait that changes over time according to a predictable cycle, like the circadian rhythm.

Sleep

A period of inactivity when the brain suppresses or modifies activity.

Narcoleptic

A hormone, neurotransmitter, or drug that induces sleep.

REM sleep

Important for neural maintenance and the formation of memories.

Insulin control system

Regulates carbohydrate metabolism in virtually all animals; insulin is a peptide hormone released in response to increased blood sugar.

COX enzymes

Enzymes that play a key role in pain perception and synthesizing prostaglandins.

Fear

Defensive behavior that can lead to fleeing or hiding; an adaptive behavior and the corresponding internal state that helps an individual escape danger.

Transition matrix

A matrix quantifying an animal's actions in interactions that result in a certain response from a second animal.

Communication

The transfer of signals from a sender to a receiver.

Signal

A signal is produced by an individual and carries a specific message to another individual. Evolution has shaped the signals for the specific function in communication.

Autocommunication

Communication with itself, occuring in Echolocation and Territorial and pad markings for orientation.

Noise

Unintended information that affects signals.

Public information

Signals or features of an animal that are available to other animals in the environment to the detriment of the signaler.

Co-option

An evolutionary assumption of something an animal already does or has done for another use in communication.

Ritualization

The association, through evolution, of a signal with a certain meaning.

Stereotypy

The evolutionary reduction of variation of a signal so it is easier to understand.

Redundancy

The use of multiple signals with the same meaning for emphasis and reduced confusion.

Communication mode

A type of sensory receptor used to pick up a signal.

Pheromone

A chemical signal used to transfer information within a species.

Honest signals

These signals convey the sender's actual message and intention truthfully.

Nonlinearity

In relationships between two variables when one variable increases at a greater rate than other.

Amplitude

The intensity of a sound.

Dissipation

The decrease in intensity as sound travels.

Pitch

The tone of a sound.

Reflection

The bouncing of sound or light waves off an object.

Refraction

The change in frequency of waves as they move through a medium with a different density.

Multimodal signal

A signal built up from multiple modalities.

Encoding

Translation of information into a signal that can be interpreted by the receiver.

Deceitful signals

Signals evolved to mislead.

Handicap principle

A costly signal (like an elk's antlers) demonstrates the signaler's genetic strength.

Mating system

How man-woman interactions are built on the choice of partner

Gamete

A haploid reproductive cell produced by meiosis, uniting to form a zygote

Male

Produces a large number of mobile gametes called sperm with little investment

Female

Produces a small number of immobile gametes called eggs with large investment

Isogamous species

Species with gametes of the same size, without differentiation of man and woman

Anisogame species

Species with gametes with different sizes, which have a difference between man and woman

Hermaphrodite

An animal that possesses male and female organs and produces egg and sperm cells

Protandrous hermaphrodite

Species that are male early in life and female later in life

Protogynous hermaphrodite

Species that are female early in life and male later in life

The cost of meiosis

The half of the genetic information that is lost in the production of haploid gametes

Asexual reproduction

The production of offspring genetically identical to a single parent

Sexual reproductie

Offspring as a result of combination of gametes of 2 parents

Genetic diversity

Each egg cell and sperm cell is unique. Every resulting offspring is therefor divers

Basal taxa

Types of organisms that arose early in evolution

Sexual selection

Sexual selection comes from different reproduction between man and woman within a species

Intersexual selection

Selection that occurs when man chooses a woman based on specific traits, or reverse

Intrasexual selection

Selection that occurs by competition within the genus, like horns

Runaway sexual selection

When genus choose a partner based off of other characteristics than the sex, which leads to extreme expression of those characteristics

Directional selection

Ensures that a trait occurs more often in a population over generations

Dishonesty

A faulty presentation of the genotype

Infanticide

When a grown animal kills a kid

Social mate

The partner that spends a lot of time with an individual, like during breeding season. (Confirmed by gedrag)

Genetic mate

The actual parter. (Confirmed by analyzing DNA)

Meta-analysis

An analysis that takes the result of multiple published researches to test another possible hypothesis

Sexy son model

A woman has a preference for a partner whose sons have a greater chance of reproduction. Sexy father is sexy son

Social mating system

A sociaal paar systeem is measured by the time an individual spends in groups or pairs

Genetic mating system

A genetic paar systeem in measured by the genetic outcome from the parings

EPC

Extra Pair Copulation, the mating with another member then the member whom they from a monogamous couple with

Reproductive investment

The time a parent invests in offspring

Bet hedging

An investment that is saved and placed else where, for example EPC