Science Section 1

What is animal behavior? What is behavior? Why do they express these behaviors?

The study of how and why animals act the way they do;

The way an individual acts in response to something;

Why do animals express behaviors? What different fields of study does animal behavior include? List all five.

Stablilize their biological processes in an ever-changing environment;

Biology, psychology, genetics, physiology, ecology

What three specific criteria must an organism meet in order to be scientifically classified as an animal?

Feed on organic matter, be able to move from one place to another, be multicellular and produce collagen

How do animals primarily convert ingested organic substances into the energy required for survival?

They use internal mechanisms like the stomach in order to absorb nutrients.

In context of animal classification, how is movement specifically defined?

the ability to move an organism’s whole body from one place to another

Animal cells are distinguished from other eukarytoic (organelles with encased membrane and nucleus and a light pink membrane in center) by the production of which structural protein? What two properties does eukaryiotic cells have?

Collagen;

The ability to replicate and provide the cell with energy

Why are plants excluded from the criteria?

They use sunlight as their energy source and they use cellulose rather than collagen.

Fungi are excluded from the kingdom Animalia because they produce __ rather than collagen.

Chitin

Why are protists generally not considered animals even though they technically are capable of being eukaryotic and can move?

Protists are unicellular and also cannot produce collagen

What are the four defining criteria to be considered a mammal?

has a spinal cord and brain, produces milk, has three middle ear bones, have hair

What is the biological function of the three middle ear bones?

They transmit sound vibrations that transmit to the brain to process.

Term to define: viviporous

To give birth to live young

What two specific mammals are noted as exceptions to the rule of being viviporous?

Platypus (Ornithorhynchus anatinus) and echinda (Tachglossidae). They are also called monotremes

What are mammals that are primarily airborne? In water? How does the spinal cord contribute?

Bats; whales;

The spinal cord allows for complex movement and reactions and sends sensory information from the real world to the brain

Most birds, reptiles, and fish reproduce are ____, which means that they reproduce by laying eggs.

oviparous

What reproduction strategy is ovoviviparous?

Offspring develop and hatch internally before live birth

Although most birds can fly, which ones can’t?

Penguins (Spheniscidae)

In some fish species, what substance serves as the internal support structure instead of the bones?

cartilage

How do amphibians like frogs supplement their oxygen intake beyond using their lungs?

They are capable of breathing through their skin.

The ___ is an example of a fish adapted to muddy environments using modified gills to breathe air and water?

mudskipper

What are two examples of reptiles? What are two examples of amphibians?

Sea snakes and crocodiles;

Tree frogs and axolotls (Ambystoma mexicanum)

What are the primary anatomical differences between the body segments and legs of insects versus arachinids?

Insects have three body segments and six legs, whereas arachnids have two body segments and eight legs.

Arthopods lack a spinal cord and utilize a(n) ___ circulatory system to move oxygen. What is the name of the fluid circulated in arthropods to oxygenate their organs?

open;

hemolymph

Approximately what percentage of all known animal species on Earth are classified as arthropods?

80 to 85 percent

What are two examples of animals with complex social groups? What are two examples of more solitary arthropods?

Honeybees and ant colonies;

wasps and grasshoppers

Which microscopic animal is famous for its ability to withstand radiation, extreme temperatures, and long periods of dormancy?

Tardigrades (or water bears!!!0

If arthopods do not have an internal skeleton, what are they supported by? The ___ is a tarantula found in ___ that will occasionally eat birds.

An exoskeleton;

Goliath bird eater (Theraphosa blondi), South America

What animal resembles plants but actually has a complicated larvae stage that swim freely?

Sea sponges

Which 6 groups of animals also exist?

Crabs, jellfish (cnidarians), worms, cephalopods (squid/octopus), starfish, and sponges

In a broad scientific sense, what does the term ‘behavior’ encompass?

All the ways animals interact with other organisms, internal signals, and the physical environment

What is external stimuli? What is internal stimuli?

Internal stimuli - sensations that come from an organism’s own body

External stimuli - anything outside of the animal to which it could respond

Shivering in response to low body temperature is an example of behavior triggered by __ stimuli.

internal

What is the type of stimuli when a cat prepares to hunt by crouching down and expanding their pupils?

external

What is the primary evolutionary hypothesis for the development of social behavior in groups?

It increases group vigiliance for predators and improves the efficiency of searching for food.

Under what specific environmental condition are animals more likely to engage in play behavior?

When they are experiencing low levels of stress

What is the evolutionary ‘trade-off’ associated with the ornate mating displays of male peacocks?

While their extravagant feathers look super duper cool to both us and their mates, their flamboyant display also attracts predators.

Concept: name what ecology is

The study of how living organisms interact with their environment to maximize their chances of survival and reproduction. Typically, will look overall rather than individuals.

What are the six levels of ecological organization, ranking from smallest to largest?

Organism, Population, Community, Ecosystem, Biome, Biosphere

An ecological ___ includes all the organisms in a specific area that belongs to the same species.

population

How does an ecosystem differ from a community in ecological organization?

An ecosystem includes abiotic factors like water and soil, whereas a community only includes living populations.

What is the definition of a biome?

A large area that contains multiple ecosystems that share similar weather and environmental conditions.

What type of system does researchers study with the biosphere?

All interactions in a closed system

How would an environment with limited coverage and denser predators affect their behavior?

Limited coverage leads to seeking more resources and more cautious behaviors, and denser predators will lead to being more competition.

An animal species whose presence is vital to the stability of an ecosystem, such that its removal would cause collapse, is a(n) ______.

keystone species

Who is credited with developing the modern system of taxonomy in 1735?

Carl Linnaeus

Why is Latin traditionally used for the binomial nomenclature of species?

It is a dead language, ensuring its grammatical rules and meanings remain consistent over times

What are the eight main elvels of taxonomic rank, from broadest to most specific?

Domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, family, genus, and species

In binomial nomenclature, how is the genus name formatted differently from the species name?

The first letter is capitalized and italized, while the species name is lowercase and italizied

Define phylogenetic trees.

Visually describe the evolutionary history between taxa based on biological features, behavior, genetic, and/or geographic location.

What does an ‘internal node’ represent on a phylogenetic tree?

the Last Common ancestor that the animals branching off from each end?

Concept: Divergence Event

Two species can no longer breed with one another because their genetic code is too different?

On a phylogenetic tree, what does the length of a branch typically signify?

The longer the branch is, the more genetic change has occurred. The amount of genetic change that has occurred within that lineage.

What is the term for the theoretical single-celled organism from which all life on Earth is believed to have evolved? When?

Last Universal Common Ancestor (LUCA); 4.2 billion years ago

According to scientific evidence, what were the first multicellular animals to appear in ancient oceans? How long ago was this?

sponge-like or jellyfish-like organisms; 910 million years ago

Which millipede-like creature is recognized as the first animal to transition from water to land? Approximately how many years ago?

Pneumodesmus newmani; 420 million years ago

Approximately how many millions of years ago did the first animals with bones and spines appear? What did they closely resemble?

375 million years ago known to breathe oxygen and walk on land; amphibians or reptiles

What was the name of the oldest known mammal, a rodent-like creature that lived alongside dinosaurs? When?

Basilodon; 225 million years ago

Who discovered the P. newmani, when, and where?

Mike Newman;

2004;

Scotland

Approximately what was the percentage of survival after the mass extinction event that killed dinosaurs? Who survived and why?

7%;

Mammals because of robust diet and small sizes

Why is the use of taxonomic names preferred over common names in scientific research?

Common names are generalized and vary by language/culture, while taxonomic names provide a global standardized label.

What domain and what kingdom do animals belong to? Where do they diversify?

Domain - Eukarya

Kingdom - Animalia

They diversify at the phylum.

What is the phylum that belongs to animals with spinal cords?

Chordata

Using the example of bass, how does this represent how we describe species with common name?

Bass (Percomorpha) is a species but there’s also striped bass vs spotted bass.

In modern biology, two species are considered distinct if they are unable to produce __ with one another.

fertile offspring

Concept: Fitness (Evolutionary)

The success of an individual surviving and reproducing to pass its genes to the next generation

Natural selection acts on the ___ of traits in individuals rather than the specific genetic code directly.

physical manifestation

Define: traits

Manifestation of a genetic code that produces a specific characteristic

How did the Industrial Revolution affect the phenotype frequency of peppered moths in England?

Moths blend in with lichen. Coal pollution darkened trees, providing a survival advantage to all-black moths over the white-and-spotted variant. After anti-pollution laws were introduced, variations of the spotted moths eventually returned.

Who came up with the mechanism of natural selection and when?

Charles Darwin; late 1830s

Which environmental factors are considered selection pressures that drive natural selection?

predators, disease, competition, food availability

How does genetic mutations differ between generations of asexual species like flatworms and sea anemones compared to animals that reproduce otherwise?

Asexual species are primitive and more simple because they need to rely on more spontaneous changes.

Define: selective pressures

Factors that affect which traits are inherited in a population

Why is the potential size of land animals limited by the laws of physics?

The Earth’s gravity and available oxygen limit the ability to support large bodies and transport oxygen to tissues.

Why were dinosaurs and insects so large during the Mesozoic Era?

Lived in an atmosphere with a lot of oxygen.

In behavioral evolution, what is the difference between instinctual and learned behaviors?

Instinctual behaviors happen because of genetics, while learned behaviors are because of outside factors.

Why might an adult animal ‘selfishly’ abandon its young in the presence of a predator?

Survival of the adult ensures the possibility of future successful reproduction, whereas the adult’s death risks total reproductive failure.

Concept: Kin Selection

A theory explaining self-sacificing behavior that benefits genetic relatives, thereby increasing the survival of shared genes.

The ___ is a bird species that exhibits kin selection by having non-breeding adults rear their parents’ offspring. How do they identify each other?

Florida Scrub Jay;

vocalizations and proximity

Which Greek philosopher documentation of animal habits in 300 BCE established early hierarchical classifications of life? How did he rank everything?

Aristotle;

animals lower than humans but higher than plants

Name an Egyptian goddess that was based on animal behavior and what animals it was based on. When? What type of God?

Baset and cat, lion, or lion-headed woman;

2300 BCE;

pregnancy and childbirth

Term: Ethology

science of animal behavior, originally called naturalists

Which influential book published shifted the field of biology to view behavior as an inherited trait? Who wrote it, and when? Beforehand in the nineteenth century, who hinted at it?

“On the Origin of Species”

Charles Darwin, 1859;

Jean-Bapiste Lamarck

Who are the three ‘Fathers of Ethology’ who shared the Nobel Prize? When? What was it called?

Niko Tinbergen, Konrad Lorenz, Karl von Frisch;

1973;

Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine

Konrad Lorenz was a __ scientist who is best known for his research on ____, where young animals recognize a stimulus as a parent during development. What did he test the theory with?

Austrian, imprinting behaviors;

Mallard geese after observing graylag geese

What was Nikolaas Tinbergen’s major discovery regarding the social behavior of seaguls? What would he later develop?

He found that they could recognize unique faces and voices of other individual seagulls. “Four Questions”

Karl von Frisch was a ___ scientist who translated the ‘dance’ of which insect in order to understand how they communicate nectar locations? What else did he pioneer?

German-Austrian;

honeybees;

sexual selection

What is the primary goal of the field known as ‘applied animal behavior’?

Improve the welfare of animals

When did Tinbergen’s Four Questions get devised? What does the ‘Function’ question ask about a behavior?

1963;

It asks how the behavior contributed to the animal’s survival and increases its fitness

Tinbergen’s Four Questions: What does the History (or Evolution) question analyze?

It examines how a behavior evolved by comparing it to the behaviors of related species or ancestors

Tinbergen’s Four Questions: What is the focus of the ‘Cause’ or Mechanism question?

Identifies the external and internal stimuli that trigger a behavior

Tinbergen’s Four Questions: What does the ‘Development’ (or Ontogeny) question explore?

It asks whether a behavior was learned over a lifetime or if the animal was born with the instinct

Define anthropomorphism.

The bias of interpreting animal behavior through the lens of human emotions and experiences

How does the baring teeth differ between humans and chimpanzees? Name the latin.

Humans bare teeth to express a smile, while chimpanzees do it as an act of submission due to fear. Pan troglodytes

What is the main limitation of purely observational studies in animal behavior research?

They can only show associations and frequencies but cannot conclude direct cause and effect without manipulation.

The COVID-19 pandemic is cited as an example of a(n) ___ manipulation used by researchers to study human-animal interactions.

natural

What is an example of an artificial manipulation?

Record and playing back the alarm sound of a species of bird

Why are laboratory experiments considered the most effective way to understand the direct cause of a behavior?

They allow for highly controlled settings where specific variables can be isolated and tested while others are held constant.

Term: Control group

The group in a research sutdy that is not manipulated, used as a baseline for comparison with the experimental group.

Cons of a lab study

It’s highly artifical and will not fully reflect how animals would act in the wild

Concept: Ethogram

A detailed description of behavior to quantify the frequency or types of behavior exhibited. It’s standardized.