Question 1

Which of the following is a hypothesized mechanism to explain dispersal behavior?

Accepted Answer

Dispersal behavior is often explained by the need to reduce competition for resources, which is a hypothesized mechanism driving individuals to move to new areas.

Question 2

How did Mathieu and colleagues (2010) study dispersal behavior in earthworms?

Accepted Answer

Mathieu and colleagues (2010) studied dispersal behavior in earthworms by manipulating the density of individuals to observe how changes in density affected their dispersal behavior.

Question 3

How is the dispersal behavior of earthworms and water boatmen similar?

Accepted Answer

Both earthworms and water boatmen exhibit dispersal behaviors that are influenced by competition for resources such as food and space. This competition can trigger the need to disperse to less crowded areas where these resources are more readily available.

Question 4

A researcher determines that in mockingbirds, juvenile females disperse much farther than males. What is an ultimate explanation for this observation?

Accepted Answer

Inbreeding avoidance is an ultimate explanation because it addresses the evolutionary benefit of the behavior, which is to prevent close genetic relatives from mating and thus reduce the potential negative effects of inbreeding on the population's genetic diversity and fitness.

Question 5

Inbreeding depression affects ?which of the following?

Accepted Answer

Inbreeding depression primarily affects fitness, as it leads to a decrease in biological fitness due to the mating of closely related individuals, which can increase the chances of offspring inheriting harmful genetic conditions.

Question 6

What prediction did Szulkin and Sheldon (2008) test in their study of great tits?

Accepted Answer

Szulkin and Sheldon (2008) tested the prediction that juveniles that exhibit the greatest dispersal distances are less likely to mate with kin, focusing on the relationship between dispersal behavior and inbreeding avoidance.

Question 7

Natal dispersal _____________.

Accepted Answer

Natal dispersal refers to the movement an individual makes from its birthplace to the location where it reproduces for the first time, and it typically occurs only once in an individual's lifetime.

Question 8

Species X is known to exhibit a win-stay lose-shift breeding dispersal pattern. You observe that individual A of this species raises six offspring, while individual B experiences a reproductive failure. What can you predict based on these observations?

Accepted Answer

Species exhibiting a win-stay lose-shift pattern tend to stay at a successful site (site fidelity) and shift from an unsuccessful one. Since A was successful, it will likely stay.

Question 9

What is the source of public information that kittiwakes use to assess breeding site quality?

Accepted Answer

Kittiwakes assess breeding site quality by observing the reproductive success of birds in the same patch. This allows them to gauge the potential for their own breeding success in that area based on the performance of others.

Question 10

Which of the following occurs in a population that exhibits partial migration?

Accepted Answer

Partial migration refers to a phenomenon where only a portion of a population migrates, while the rest remain in the same area. This means not all individuals in the population undertake migration; some stay in their original habitat throughout the year.

Question 11

What factor is NOT predicted to promote the evolution of a partial migrant population into a resident population?

Accepted Answer

Enhanced use of public information to assess environmental conditions is not predicted to promote the evolution of a partial migrant population into a resident population. This factor relates to how animals might use information from others to make decisions, but it does not directly influence the inherent benefits or costs associated with migration versus residency, such as fitness, survival, or resource availability.

Question 12

How did Grayson and Wilbur (2009) examine factors that affect migratory movement in newts?

Accepted Answer

Grayson and Wilbur (2009) conducted experiments by manipulating the density and sex ratio in experimental plots to study factors affecting migratory movement in newts.

Question 13

Under what conditions is the behavioral polymorphism maintained in a partial migrant population?

Accepted Answer

Behavioral polymorphism in partial migrant populations is maintained when the fitness of residents and migrants is the same, allowing both strategies to coexist without one outcompeting the other.

Question 14

According to Gillis and colleagues (2008), what maintains the behavioral polymorphism observed in a partial migrant population of dippers?

Accepted Answer

Migratory behavior in the population of dippers is condition-dependent, meaning that the decision to migrate or not is influenced by the individual's condition or environmental factors rather than being strictly genetically determined or learned from parents.

Question 15

A researcher examines captured birds migrating north. Over a one-week period, she clock-shifts them 12 hours in a laboratory. If these birds use a sun compass to orient, which direction can you predict they will fly when released?

Accepted Answer

The answer of A researcher examines captured birds migrating north....

Question 16

Which of the following were NOT used to conclude that antennal photoreceptors are involved in proper orientation in monarch butterflies?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Which of the following were NOT used...

Question 17

How did the Lohmann (1991) determine that sea turtles orient using magnetoreception?

Accepted Answer

Lohmann (1991) determined that sea turtles orient using magnetoreception by demonstrating that turtles oriented in the opposite direction when the magnetic field was reversed. This experiment directly showed that turtles can sense and respond to magnetic fields, which is a key aspect of magnetoreception.

Question 18

Which of the following is associated with bicoordinate navigation in animals?

Accepted Answer

Bicoordinate navigation involves using a mental map to determine position relative to a destination, allowing animals to navigate using two coordinates, such as latitude and longitude.

Question 19

Which of the following is required for bicoordinate navigation?

Accepted Answer

Bicoordinate navigation requires animals to sense and navigate using two varying environmental gradients, such as magnetic and light gradients, to determine their position relative to a destination.

Question 20

Eurasian reed warblers migrate northeast during spring. What evidence suggested that they were capable of bicoordinate navigation after individuals were captured and experimentally displaced 1000 km east during spring migration?

Accepted Answer

The Eurasian reed warblers, when displaced 1000 km east, began migrating to the northwest. This change in direction from their usual northeast spring migration path suggested that they were capable of bicoordinate navigation. They adjusted their route to compensate for the displacement, indicating an ability to determine their geographical position relative to their destination and alter their migratory path accordingly.

Quiz 10: Dispersal and Migration