Behavior and Ecology - UNIT 8

Vocabulary flashcards covering key terms from the lecture notes on Behavior and Ecology.

Innate behavior

Behaviors animals are born with; largely genetic and not learned, such as instinctive patterns and reflexes.

Learned behavior

Behaviors shaped by the environment and experience; can be modified by training and exposure.

Fixed action pattern (FAP)

A stereotyped sequence of actions triggered by a sign stimulus and carried to completion.

Sign stimulus

An environmental trigger that elicits a fixed action pattern (e.g., red belly triggering aggression in sticklebacks).

Imprinting

A learning process during a sensitive period where a young animal forms a long-lasting association with the first moving object it sees.

Sensitive period

A short developmental window when certain learning or imprinting occurs most effectively.

Classical conditioning

An associative learning process pairing a neutral stimulus with an unconditioned stimulus to produce a conditioned response.

Operant conditioning

A learning process in which a behavior is strengthened or weakened by rewards or punishments.

Latent learning

Learning that occurs without immediate reward, often involving the formation of cognitive maps.

Proximate cause

Immediate environmental or physiological triggers of a behavior (e.g., stimuli, hormones).

Ultimate cause

The evolutionary reason a behavior exists, such as increased survival or reproduction.

Orientation

The ability to travel in a specific direction using cues like the sun or stars, aided by biological clocks.

Navigation

The ability to change direction using environmental cues (e.g., Earth's magnetic field) to reach a destination.

Pheromone

A chemical signal released by one individual that affects the behavior of others of the same species.

Vomeronasal organ (VNO)

A sensory organ that detects pheromones and connects to neural pathways controlling hormones.

Auditory communication

Communication through sound; includes calls and songs, enabling fast signaling day or night.

Visual communication

Communication via visual signals or displays (e.g., plumage, posture, firefly flashes).

Tactile communication

Communication through touch or contact (e.g., grooming, social bonding, waggle dances in bees).

Territoriality

Defending a home range to access resources; involves costs (energy, risk) and benefits (food, mates, reproduction).

Sexual selection

A form of natural selection favoring traits that increase mating success, typically via female choice and male competition.