Question 1

A cage containing male mosquitoes has a small earphone placed on top, through which the sound of a female mosquito is played. All the males immediately fly to the earphone and go through all of the steps of copulation. What is the best explanation for this behavior?
A) Copulation is a fixed action pattern, and the female flight sound is a sign stimulus that initiates it.
B) The sound from the earphone irritates the male mosquitoes, causing them to attempt to sting it.
C) The reproductive drive is so strong that when males are deprived of females, they will attempt to mate with anything that has even the slightest female characteristic.
D) Through classical conditioning, the male mosquitoes have associated the inappropriate stimulus from the earphone with the normal response of copulation.

Accepted Answer

Copulation is a fixed action pattern, which means it is a behavior that is instinctive and stereotypical. The female flight sound is a sign stimulus that initiates this pattern of behavior. The males are responding to a specific trigger that is hardwired into their behavior.

Question 2

Displays of nocturnal mammals are usually ________.
A) visual and auditory
B) tactile and visual
C) olfactory and auditory
D) visual and olfactory

Accepted Answer

Nocturnal mammals often rely on olfactory and auditory signals because these senses are more effective in low-light conditions compared to visual displays.

Question 3

Which of the following experiments best addresses the hypothesis that moths stop flying in response to high-intensity bat sounds?
A) Isolate and characterize the neurons that control flight muscle.
B) Play prerecorded high-intensity bat sounds to flying moths.
C) Observe responses of moths to bats in nature.
D) Put bats and moths in an enclosure and make detailed observations of predator-prey interactions.

Accepted Answer

Playing prerecorded high-intensity bat sounds to flying moths allows for a controlled experiment to directly test the hypothesis that moths stop flying in response to these sounds. The other options are not as directly applicable to testing this specific hypothesis.

Question 4

Use the following figures to answer the question.

From the figure, what can we determine about the location of the food source?
A) The waggle dance in the top figure indicates that the food is directly under the hive.
B) The waggle dance in the bottom figure indicates that the food is to the west of the hive.
C) The waggle dance in the top figure indicates that the food is close to the hive.
D) The waggle dance in the bottom figure indicates that the food is 90° to the right of the sun.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Use the following figures to answer the...

Question 5

What type of signal is long-lasting and works at night?
A) olfactory
B) visual
C) auditory
D) electrical

Accepted Answer

Olfactory signals, or smells, can linger for longer periods of time than visual or auditory signals. Additionally, they do not require light to be perceived, so they can work at night.  Electrical signals are not applicable as they do not relate to sensory perception.

Question 6

Use the following figures to answer the question.

What could you conclude if the honeybee in the figure switched from the "waggle dance" to the "round dance"?
A) The food source is no longer available; all the nectar has been harvested.
B) The preferred food source was farther away.
C) The bee is trying to conserve energy by switching to the round dance.
D) The food source is close to the hive.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Use the following figures to answer the...

Question 7

During a field trip, an instructor touched a moth resting on a tree trunk. The moth raised its forewings to reveal large eyespots on its hind wings. The instructor asked why the moth lifted its wings. One student answered that sensory receptors had fired and triggered a neuronal reflex culminating in the contraction of certain muscles. A second student responded that the behavior might frighten predators. Which statement best describes these explanations?
A) The first explanation is correct, but the second is incorrect.
B) The first explanation refers to proximate causation, whereas the second refers to ultimate causation.
C) The first explanation is testable as a scientific hypothesis, whereas the second is not.
D) Both explanations are reasonable and simply represent a difference of opinion.

Accepted Answer

The first explanation refers to the proximate causation of the behavior (the immediate physiological mechanism causing the wings to lift), while the second explanation refers to the ultimate causation (the evolutionary reason for the behavior, to scare off predators). Both explanations have their place in understanding the behavior, but they are addressing different levels of causation.

Question 8

What type of signal is brief and can work among obstructions at night?
A) olfactory
B) visual
C) auditory
D) magnetic

Accepted Answer

An auditory signal is typically brief and can work among obstructions at night since sound waves can travel through obstacles such as trees and buildings. Olfactory signals are based on smells and are not effective at night, while visual signals require light, which may not be present during the night. Magnetic signals are not used in communication.

Question 9

Which of the following examples describes a behavioral pattern that results from a proximate cause?
A) A cat kills a mouse to obtain nutrition.
B) A male sheep fights with another male because it helps to improve its social position.
C) A female bird lays its eggs because the amount of daylight is decreasing slightly each day.
D) A goose squats and freezes motionless to escape a predator.

Accepted Answer

The female bird laying eggs in response to decreasing daylight is a proximate cause, as it is a direct trigger for the behavior.

Answer: A, B, D 
 These examples describe ultimate causes, as they involve more complex motivations for behavior such as obtaining nutrition, improving social position, or avoiding predators.

Question 10

A stickleback fish will attack a fish model as long as the model has red coloring. What animal behavior idea is manifested by this observation?
A) sign stimulus
B) cognition
C) imprinting
D) classical conditioning

Accepted Answer

This observation is an example of sign stimulus, where a specific form or color of an object triggers a particular behavior in the animal. In this case, the red color of the fish model acts as a sign stimulus that elicits the aggressive behavior of the stickleback fish.

Question 11

The proximate causes of behavior are interactions with the environment, but behavior is ultimately shaped by ________.
A) hormones
B) evolution
C) pheromones
D) the nervous system

Accepted Answer

The proximate causes of behavior are the immediate interactions with the environment, such as stimuli triggering a response. However, the ultimate cause of behavior is shaped by evolution, as natural selection favors behaviors that increase an animal's fitness and chance of reproducing.

Question 12

In testing a hypothesis that "territorial defense in European robins is a fixed action pattern that is released by the sight of orange feathers," researchers found that robins defended their territory by attacking anything that was of similar size and had an orange patch. What experiment would you perform next to determine that the color initiated the defense response?
A) Repeat the experiment using a blue patch instead of an orange patch.
B) Repeat the experiment by removing the patch completely.
C) Repeat the experiment by using a model of a robin that was twice the size of a normal robin but with a small orange patch.
D) Repeat the experiment by using a model of a robin that had an orange patch that was twice the size of a normal patch.

Accepted Answer

This experiment would allow the researchers to determine if the orange color specifically initiated the defense response, as opposed to just any color patch. If the robins do not respond to the blue patch in the same way as they did to the orange patch, it would strongly suggest that the color orange is the specific cue that triggers the fixed action pattern of territorial defense.

Question 13

Scientists believe that the direction birds go when migrating is guided in part by ________.
I.the stars in the night sky
II.the sun during the day
III.the magnetic field of the Earth
A) only I
B) only II
C) only III
D) I, II, and III

Accepted Answer

Scientists have found that migrating birds use a combination of different cues to navigate, including the stars at night, the position of the sun during the day, and the Earth's magnetic field.

Question 14

Squirrels will make alarm sounds when a model of an owl is placed in their territory. When a red block the same size of the owl is placed in the territory, the squirrel does not alarm. What can you conclude from these observations?
A) The squirrel cannot see red objects, and so does not make alarm sounds.
B) The owl model, but not the red block, is a sign that triggers the fixed action pattern of alarm vocalizations.
C) The owl model is the ultimate cause of alarm vocalization behavior.
D) The squirrel is trying to attract the owl into its territory.

Accepted Answer

The observations suggest that the squirrel is recognizing the model of an owl as a potential predator and is responding with alarm sounds. This is likely due to a fixed action pattern triggered by the specific visual cues of the owl model, rather than simply responding to any object in its territory. The lack of a response to the red block, which is the same size as the owl model, suggests that the squirrel is not simply responding to the presence of any object but is specifically recognizing the owl model as a potential threat. The observations do not provide evidence for the other choices.

Question 15

What type of signal is fast and requires daylight with no obstructions?
A) olfactory
B) visual
C) auditory
D) tactile

Accepted Answer

Visual signals require daylight and rely on the ability to see clearly without obstructions. Olfactory signals rely on smell, auditory signals require hearing, and tactile signals require touch, so they are not the best choice for this scenario.

Question 16

A lizard's bobbing dewlap (a colorful flap of skin hanging from an Anolis lizard's throat) is an example of a(n) ________.
A) stimulus
B) reflex
C) signal
D) innate releasing mechanism

Accepted Answer

The lizard's bobbing dewlap is a signal, as it is a visual cue that the lizard is attempting to communicate something to others of its species. A stimulus is something that elicits a response, and a reflex is an involuntary response to a stimulus. An innate releasing mechanism is a neural circuit that is hardwired to produce a specific behavior in response to a specific stimulus.

Question 17

Which of the following is required for a behavioral trait to evolve by natural selection?
A) The behavior is determined entirely by genes.
B) The behavior is the same in all individuals in the population.
C) An individual's reproductive success depends in part on how the behavior is performed.
D) The behavior is not genetically inherited.

Accepted Answer

For a behavioral trait to evolve by natural selection, an individual's reproductive success must be affected by how the behavior is performed. This means that individuals who perform the behavior more effectively have a greater chance of survival and reproduction, passing on their genes and increasing the frequency of the behavior in the population. The other options (A, B, and D) are not necessarily required for a behavioral trait to evolve through natural selection.

Question 18

Use the following figures to answer the question.

If the figure shows the dances of bees in a hive at noon on June 21 in the northern hemisphere (the sun is directly north of the hive), which dance is communicating that the food is to the south of the hive?
A) dance A
B) dance B
C) dance C
D) It is not possible to tell if any of the dances indicate the food is to the south of the hive.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Use the following figures to answer the...

Question 19

Upon returning to its hive, a European honeybee communicates to other worker bees the presence of a nearby food source it has discovered by ________.
A) vibrating its wings at varying frequencies
B) performing a round dance
C) performing a waggle dance
D) visual cues

Accepted Answer

The answer of Upon returning to its hive, a European...

Question 20

Circannual rhythms in birds are influenced by ________.
A) periods of food availability
B) periods of daylight and darkness
C) magnetic fields
D) lunar cycles

Accepted Answer

Circannual rhythms in birds are mainly influenced by the length of daylight and darkness, which changes seasonally. This is also known as photoperiodism.

Quiz 51: Animal Behavior

A cage containing male mosquitoes has a small earphone placed on top, through which the sound of a female mosquito is played. All the males immediately fly to the earphone and go through all of the steps of copulation. What is the best explanation for this behavior?

Displays of nocturnal mammals are usually ________.

Which of the following experiments best addresses the hypothesis that moths stop flying in response to high-intensity bat sounds?

Use the following figures to answer the question. From the figure, what can we determine about the location of the food source?

What type of signal is long-lasting and works at night?

Use the following figures to answer the question. What could you conclude if the honeybee in the figure switched from the "waggle dance" to the "round dance"?

What type of signal is brief and can work among obstructions at night?

Which of the following examples describes a behavioral pattern that results from a proximate cause?

A stickleback fish will attack a fish model as long as the model has red coloring. What animal behavior idea is manifested by this observation?

The proximate causes of behavior are interactions with the environment, but behavior is ultimately shaped by ________.

Scientists believe that the direction birds go when migrating is guided in part by ________. I.the stars in the night sky II.the sun during the day III.the magnetic field of the Earth

Squirrels will make alarm sounds when a model of an owl is placed in their territory. When a red block the same size of the owl is placed in the territory, the squirrel does not alarm. What can you conclude from these observations?

What type of signal is fast and requires daylight with no obstructions?

A lizard's bobbing dewlap (a colorful flap of skin hanging from an Anolis lizard's throat) is an example of a(n) ________.

Which of the following is required for a behavioral trait to evolve by natural selection?

Use the following figures to answer the question. If the figure shows the dances of bees in a hive at noon on June 21 in the northern hemisphere (the sun is directly north of the hive) , which dance is communicating that the food is to the south of the hive?

Upon returning to its hive, a European honeybee communicates to other worker bees the presence of a nearby food source it has discovered by ________.

Circannual rhythms in birds are influenced by ________.