Responses to the Environment

These flashcards cover key terms and concepts from the lecture on animal behavior analysis related to environmental responses.

Ethology

The study of animal behavior, particularly in the context of evolutionary processes.

Proximate cause

The immediate stimulus or mechanism that triggers a specific behavior.

Ultimate cause

The evolutionary reason or function of a behavior in terms of its contribution to survival and reproduction.

Innate behavior

Behavior that is developmentally fixed and instinctive; it does not require learning.

Learned behavior

Behavior that is acquired through experience and is influenced by environmental factors.

Stimulus

Any internal or external signal that elicits a response from an organism.

Natural selection

The process by which advantageous traits become more common in a population due to better survival and reproductive success.

Behavioral ecology

The field that studies the evolutionary basis for animal behavior due to ecological pressures.