Learn: PSYC 122 Miller Midterm 1

What is evolution?

Change in the genome of a population of organisms over generations.

What is natural selection?

The idea that the fittest survive and pass along their traits to their offspring.

Three tenets of selection?

variability in a trait across a population, heritability of the trait, differential reproductive success

Who are Peter and Rosemary Grant?

They are biologists known for their research on the Galapagos finches.

What did Peter and Rosemary Grant demonstrate about natural selection?

They demonstrated that natural selection is still a force in the evolution of the Galapagos finches.

How did the Grants contribute to our understanding of natural selection?

They proved that natural selection takes place frequently and sometimes very rapidly.

What is sexual selection?

occurs when certain traits increase mating success

What is intrasexual selection? Which sex is it typically stronger for?

Competition between member of the same sex for access to mates. It is typically stronger for males.

What is intersexual selection? Which sex is it typically stronger for?

Choosing a mate. It is typically stronger for females.

Intrasexual competition creates ______ of a particular trait.

variability

Male decorating and building intricate bowers is an example of...?

Intrasexual selection

Gene flow

passive movement of alleles from one population to another.

How does mutation occur?

Occurs naturally as a result of mistakes occurring during the process of DNA replication, or occurs due to mutagens

Mutations that are not _______ manifest as small changes in _______.

deleterious, phenotypes

Non-deleterious mutations increases what kind of effect?

Founders effect, the physical and cultural seperation of populations.

Mechanisms operate in isolation. True or false?

False, they work together for the ultimate same purpose.

Tungara frog chucks enough for female mate but not enough to be eaten by a bat. This is an example of _____ and _____ selection.

Sexual, natural

How did Darwin and Wallce answer the question of "Why are there so many species?"

They discovered evolution by natural selection.

What was a species defined as historically?

Organisms that can interbreed and produce fertile offspring.

Biological Species Concept (according to Ernst Mayr)

Species is a group of populations whose members have the potential to produce fertile offspring.

What is reproductive isolation?

populations are in the same ecosystem, but cannot mate successfully for a variety of reasons.

Wolf and coyote have different ways of mating and hunting. They rarely have viable offspring.

This is an example of what kind of reproductive isolation?

Behavior

Within Ngorongoro Crater, Tanzania, the animals inside are phenotypically different compared to animals outside.

This example of ecological differences influencing behavior and cognitive phenotype is what kind of reproductive isolation?

Habitat.

What are the main types of speciation?

Allopatric, parapatric and sympatric.

Mountains or rivers (a physical or geographical barrier) splitting a population is an example of...?

Allopratric speciation.

Adjacent populations (immediate neighbors) diverging into seperate species while sharing a common border is an example of...?

Parapatric speciation.

Evolution of a new species from within the population driven by changes in behavior, habitat preference or polymorphism is an example of...?

Sympatric speciation.

Reproductive isolation through ______ and ______ are the foundation of niche separation

behavior, habitat

More opportunities for species to compete means...?

less species

Less opportunities for species to compete

more species

Nonhuman primates of the Kibale forest, Uganda, has similar species inhabiting a single forest. How is this possible?

It is due to difference in activity, social organization, forest strata and diet.

What is ethology?

study of animal behavior

Function

what is the behaviors utility? how does it impact survival

Phylogeny

what other species also demonstrate the behavior?

Mechanism

what processes underlie the execution of the behavior?

Ontogeny

how does the behavior develop?

Behavior is an evolved ____________

phenotype

Alberto Palleroni

Tagged wild and blue bar pigeons.

What pigeons were being attacked and captured more?

Blue bars were attacked more than wild bars.

When Palleroni flipped the feather type (via clipping), what were the results? what do they suggest?

As feather type flipped, results also flipped as well. It suggests that the white rump patch of wild type function as a cue that

confuses peregrine falcons about the direction of the avoidance roll out.

Peregrine falcon predation avoidance in pigeons is an example of...?

Function

Phylogenetic analysis is the ________ of the Ethology

cornerstone

the common phrase 'we evolved from a chimpanzees' is incorrect. True or False?

True

Derived ancestry

a trait is present in 2 distantly related species

Shared Ancestry

a trait is present in 2 closely related species

How does decision impact the geometry of spiderwebs? Why do different spiders produce different webs?

Spiders must consider where to

anchor, where to place threads, how to move, and when to stop.

A finished spider web is a

visible record of a _______ program.

behavioral

Similar looking webs could reflect...?

inheritance from common ancestor or independent evolution under ecological pressure

Web evolution is not a simple progression. Lineages can modify ancestral architectures, simplify them, abandon capture webs, or evolve similar solutions independently.

This is an example of what concept?

Complexity is not a phylogenetic ladder.

What are the construction stages of web building?

Frame, radii, temporary spiral, capture spiral

Evolutionary Modification of spiderwebs

evolution can alter thread spacing, orientation geometry, silk properties or individual construction stages.

Repeated Losses of spiderwebs

capture web construction has been reduced or lost repeatedly in spider phylogeny.

Convergence of spiderwebs

similar web architectures can arise independently in different lineages.

Similar looking behavior does not imply _______ from a common ancestor.

inheritance

Speech

producing and perceiving the acoustic signal

Language

communicating information or ideas through a medium

Mediums can be...?

Acoustic, gestural or another form.

Speech production depends on two mechanisms:

Source and filter

Source in speech production

air is forced through larynx and vocal folds open and close

Fliter in speech production

Movements of the tongue, mouth, and lips alter sound.

How does hearing work?

Sound enters outer ear, causes tymphanic membrane to vibrate, ossicles move and produces waves in cochlea.

Cochlea

fluid-filled structure that transmits sound waves

Hair cells convert sound waves into ______ _________

action potentials

Adult behavior can emege through different combinations of ....

maturation, learning and experience.

Zebra finches provide the primary example of song development.

How does auditory learning function with Zebra finches?

Listening and memorzing tutor songs.

Around 35 days, the subsong phase begins and sensory-motor learning

provides practice.

Around 60 days, during plastic song, the song structure begins to formalize.

Around 100 days, adult song becomes the final stereotyped signal.

This shows how birdsong develops through...

sensory-motor feedback and practice.

What is the adult frog prey capture sequence?

detect prey, open mouth, project tongue, capture, retract tongue, and swallow

Maturation, learning, and refinement through practice are not mutually exclusive. True or false?

True

Ontogeny of Prey Capture

Metamorphosis establishes prey capture repertoire and experience refines execution.

European robins can migrate without a teacher; Arctic terns make extreme

long-distance migrations; bar-tailed godwits make extreme nonstop flights.

This exemplifies that...?

Similar adult behavior can arise through different developmental pathways.

Play fighting is common in mammals and can include...?

biting, attacking, chasing,

lunging, and barking

Dominance and submission are fairly equal during play bouts. True or false?

False

Play fighting can form ______ during repeated play bouts.

friendships

Play provides opportunities to learn interactions with ________

conspecifics

Play facilitates learning the appropriate use and context of ______ _______.

social signals

Domestic dogs exhibit what types of behaviors?

Social cognition and cooperative behavior.

Play has been described animals including..?

all mammals, many birds and few reptiles.

Play is strongly ______ dependent, not random.

context

What often shapes interactions?

Immediate conditions, internal state, social signals, and responses

The same physical action can mean the same things in different contexts. True or false?

False

Example of play fight rules?

Play fighting is targeting the nape. Serious fighting targets rump or flanks.

How is play a reciprocal interaction?

Involves initation, engagement, role reversal, and continued responses from both parties.

Counterattack succeeds about __% in the anchored posture versus over __%

in the unanchored posture.

30, 70

A participant with an advantage can reduce its own advantage during play.

Why do this?

Self-handicapping changes the opportunities for the partner to respond.

Social signals change the meaning of...?

biting, chasing, approaching, and other actions.

In early development, attunement appears in the first weeks of life.

What does this involve?

Eye contact, smiling and other signals to create joint experience.

Body and object play may persist into adulthood, although their expression

changes. True or false?

True

In later development, Imaginative play creates becomes common

around ages ___ to ___ years old.

Narrative play becomes common around

ages ___to___ years old.

2 to 3, 3 to 4.

Play only persists into early adulthood. true or false?

False

What is a signifcant influence that dictate whether animals live in large or small groups?

food availability

Deer and elk tend to form large groups when food sources like grasses are abundant.

What is this species behavior is this an example of?

enhancing survival through collective vigilance.

Predators often exist in smaller groups due to the scarcity of their food sources.

What is this species behavior is this an example of?

strategic hunting behavior due to scarcity.

Lions may hunt in small prides, relying on stealth and teamwork to catch prey, while gazelles may form larger herds to confuse predators.

This relationship between food and group size is an example of..

maximizing chances of survival.

Children are particularly vulnerable to food poisoning due to...?

lack of experience in recognizing harmful substances, such as certain mushrooms.

Cheetahs must accurately interpret signals from their prey, such as the 'stotting' behavior of gazelles, which indicates ______ and _______.

health, fitness

What does stotting from gazelles signal to cheetahs?

It serves as warning; the gazelle is fit enough to escape

What are the implications of food recognition errors in both humans and animals?

it can threaten survival.

Predators and herbivores have developed distinct digestive systems tailored to their _____.

diets

The divergence of birds and mammals has led to unique adaptations. However, they share similarities in...?

feeding strategies

Opportunistic feeders exhibit flexible diets that allow them to exploit various food sources.

This demonstrates...?

Adaptability in changing environments.