Ch. 6 - Orientation responses in animals

migration

Homing and ________ arise from internal factors.

towards stimulus

positive taxis

away from stimulus

negative taxis

Movement towards light

positive phototaxis

Movement away from light

negative phototaxis

photo-

light

thermo-

temperature

geo-

gravity

chemo-

chemical

thigmo-

touch

hydro-

water

rheo-

current

tropho-

food

significance of orientation responses

Helps keep organism in favourable conditions + survive

taxis

Innate movement response toward or away from a directional stimulus.

kinesis/kineses

Innate movement response to external non-directional stimulus

orthokinesis

The speed of an animal is proportional to the intensity of the stimulus causing the movement

klinokinesis

Orientation response in which the strength of the stimulus determines the rate of turning

taxis and kinesis

Simple, random responses that can maintain a mobile organism in a favourable environment over short distances

homing

The ability of an animal to find its way home over unfamiliar territory

purpose of homing

daily process of returning home after looking for food and foraging so that they don't get lost

topographical memory

navigation system using visual cues like landmarks, seas, rivers, mountains etc

magnetic navigation

utilising Earth's magnetic field to navigate

stellar navigation

navigation at night using a 'star compass' by orientating to star patterns such as the constellations

solar navigation

using the Sun as a compass as it moves across the sky from east to west during the day. By maintaining a set angle with the sun, the animal is able to move in a straight line

sonar (sound navigation and ranging)

a system that uses acoustic signals and echo returns to determine the location of objects or to communicate

chemical scent navigation

navigation using familiar scents and smells

migration

innate behaviour involving mass movement (usually annually or seasonal basis) over long distances to a predetermined locaiton

cyclical migration

migration that has a closed route repeated annually or seasonally; ie. migrants eventually return to origin

one way migration

migration that involves leaving the home range for a new location and never returning to the original home range eg. migrants die at the end of migration

photoperiod - length of day/daylight

external migration cue

shifting seasons (ie. temperature changes or precipitation levels change)

external migration cue

food and water availability

external migration cue

circadian rhythm - internal calendar in animal's nervous system; innate

internal migration cue

fat reserves

internal migration cue; may cue when fat reserve low in order to find food to build it up again

sexual maturity

innate migration cue; may trigger desire to migrate to breeding grounds

feeding lots to build fat reserve

migration preparation

changing feathers to suit flight

migration prep

getting lost

migration disadvantage

dying before completing energy (ie. fat reserve run out => no energy)

migration disadvantage

bad weather

migration disadvantage

warmer weather

migration advantage

more food, water and resources

migration advantage

better breeding environment

migration advantage