Behavioral Ecology Flashcards

Flashcards covering key concepts from the Behavioral Ecology lecture.

What are the two types of causes that biologists use to explain behaviors?

Proximate (genetic and physiological) and ultimate (how it affects fitness) causes

How is altruism usually exhibited?

When an individual helps a close relative or individuals that help them in return.

What is behavioral biology the ecology of?

How organisms interact with their physical and biological environments, and how organisms respond to particular stimuli

What does proximate causation explain?

How actions occur.

What does ultimate causation explain?

Why actions occur.

What are fixed action patterns (FAPs)?

Highly stereotypical behavior patterns usually triggered by signal stimuli or releasers

What happens if learning is not possible in a situation?

Innate behavior is commonly observed.

What did the green sea turtle experiment conclude?

Green sea turtles use magnetic map orientation to navigate.

How are costs and benefits of behavior measured?

In terms of their impact on fitness—the ability to produce offspring.

When is foraging behavior optimal?

When animals choose to maximize their feeding efficiency

What did the gerbil foraging experiment conclude?

Gerbils weigh the relative risk of predation and benefits of extra seeds when they forage.

Give an example of optimal foraging.

Crabs eat medium mussels, avoid large or small mussels because in less time they get more food from medium mussels.

What do female barn swallows prefer?

Long-tailed males because they are more efficient in flight, more successful in finding food and have higher fitness

How is sexual activity in Anolis lizards controlled?

By hormones and initiated by stimuli such as spring-like light and temperatures and exposure to a breeding mate.

What is communication?

A process in which a signal from one individual modifies the behavior of another individual.

What do straight runs down the wall of the hive in the waggle dance indicate?

Food is opposite the direction of the Sun.

What do straight runs to the right in the waggle dance indicate?

Food is 90° to the right of the Sun.

When does lying work in nature?

Only when it is relatively rare; if deceit becomes common, natural selection will favor individuals that can detect and avoid liars.

What are the three categories of navigation?

Piloting, compass orientation, and true navigation.

What is altruism?

Behavior with a fitness cost for the individual but a fitness benefit to the recipient of the behavior.

What is kin selection?

Natural selection that acts through benefits to relatives.

What is Hamilton's rule?

Br > C, where B is the fitness benefit to the beneficiary, r is the coefficient of relatedness, and C is the fitness cost to the actor.

What is reciprocal altruism?

An exchange of fitness benefits that are separated in time.

What did the Black-Tailed Prairie Dogs experiment conclude?

Alarm calling usually benefits relatives