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Sign Stimulus – An external cue that triggers a specific automatic behavior.

Fixed Action Pattern (FAP) – A sequence of unlearned behaviors that is triggered by a sign stimulus and runs to completion once started.

Pheromones – Chemical signals released by an animal that affect the behavior or physiology of other members of the same species.

Waggle Dance – A figure-eight dance performed by honeybees to communicate the direction and distance of food sources.

Round Dance – A circular dance performed by honeybees to signal that food is nearby.

Sensitive Period – A limited time in development when an organism is especially able to learn certain behaviors.

Imprinting – A rapid form of learning during a sensitive period in which a young animal forms an attachment.

Cognitive Map – A mental representation of the layout of an environment.

Spatial Learning – Learning about the physical layout of an environment.

Associative Learning – Learning that two events are connected (like a stimulus and a response).

Social Learning – Learning by observing and imitating others.

Culture – Behaviors and knowledge passed from one generation to the next through social learning.

Problem Solving – The ability to use reasoning to overcome new challenges.

Foraging – Searching for and obtaining food.

Monogamous – A mating system in which one male pairs with one female.

Polygamous – A mating system in which an individual has multiple mates.

Polygyny – A type of polygamy where one male mates with multiple females.

Polyandry – A type of polygamy where one female mates with multiple males.

Sexual Dimorphism – Differences in appearance between males and females of the same species.

Inclusive Fitness – An individual’s genetic success based on both personal reproduction and helping relatives reproduce.

Altruism – A behavior that benefits another individual at a cost to oneself.

Coefficient of Relatedness (r) – The probability that two individuals share the same gene from a common ancestor.

Hamilton’s Rule – Altruism is favored when rB > C (relatedness × benefit is greater than cost).

Kin Selection – Natural selection that favors behaviors helping relatives survive and reproduce.