Question 1

You have captured a number of rats from a wild population and quickly surmise with tests that they are very good at avoiding food with poisons.What would best explain this observation?
A)Rats are probably just intelligent enough to avoid poison.
B)Rats may experience a large variety of toxins in their environment and learn to avoid them.
C)Rats may learn this behavior from their parents or siblings.
D)Rats may be able to tolerate large amounts of poison.

Accepted Answer

Rats may have evolved to avoid consuming toxins in their environment in order to increase their chances of survival. This could be through learned behavior from exposure to toxins or a genetic adaptation. This is supported by studies that show rats can detect and avoid a wide range of toxins in their environment.

Question 2

In the second year of its life a pied kingfisher mates and raises two of its own offspring.What is its direct fitness in this second year of its life?
A)0)50
B)1)00
C)1)50
D)2)00
E)None of the above is correct.

Accepted Answer

Direct fitness refers to the number of offspring an individual can produce and support to reproductive age. Since the pied kingfisher raises two offspring, its direct fitness is 2.00.

Question 3

Learning has the most influence on behavior when _____.
A)making mistakes does not result in death
B)animals have parents or other sources to learn from
C)animals have enormous cognitive ability
D)making mistakes does not result in death,and when animals have parents or other sources to learn from
E)animals have parents or other sources to learn from,and when animals have enormous cognitive ability

Accepted Answer

Learning has the most influence on behavior when animals have sources to learn from and when making mistakes does not result in death. Having sources to learn from such as parents or experienced individuals helps animals learn appropriate behaviors faster. Meanwhile, the lack of fatal consequences when making mistakes allows animals to try different options and learn from them without facing life-threatening situations.

Question 4

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 red 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 yellow patch instead of an orange patch.
E)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

The answer of In testing a hypothesis that "territorial defense...

Question 5

If you ask a question about behavior that concerns how it works,or what its mechanism is,you are asking a question that involves _____.
A)ultimate causation
B)proximate causation
C)adaptive significance
D)survival value
E)only the neurological level of analysis

Accepted Answer

Proximate causation refers to the immediate cause or mechanism behind a behavior, such as hormonal or neurological processes. Ultimate causation, on the other hand, refers to the evolutionary reasons or adaptive significance behind a behavior. Thus, asking about the mechanism behind behavior corresponds to proximate causation. Options C and D are related to ultimate causation, and option E is too narrow (only focusing on one level of analysis) to be the best choice.

Question 6

You observe a species of bird that,upon hatching,has contact with its parents only while being fed.You also never hear the parents sing during the feeding process.What would you propose about song learning in this species of bird?
A)Song learning in this species is most likely learned.
B)The period of imprinting is likely later in the bird's life.
C)The males will learn song when they congregate with other males of their species during the winter.
D)Song learning in this species is most likely innate.

Accepted Answer

Since the bird has no contact with its parents after being fed, it is unlikely to learn the song from them. Also, the fact that the parents never sing during the feeding process suggests that song learning may not play a role in the species' survival. Therefore, it is more likely that the bird's song is innate.

Question 7

You observe scrub jays hiding food and notice that one particular individual only pretends to hide food.What kind of experiment could you perform to test whether this behavior was random or in response to another signal?
A)Observe more of these behaviors in the wild and try to determine if the behavior is random.
B)Hypothesize a set of signals that could produce this behavior and try to match the behaviors with the signals.
C)Attempt to reproduce the behavior in captivity by using bird models and a computer simulation.
D)All of the above would be excellent experiments.

Accepted Answer

Hypothesizing a set of signals that could produce this behavior and trying to match the behaviors with the signals would be the best experiment to test whether the behavior is in response to another signal. This would involve testing different stimuli to see if they elicit the behavior, which would provide evidence for a specific signal being responsible for the behavior. Option A is not ideal as it would only provide more observational data but not test for a specific signal. Option C would not necessarily address whether the behavior is in response to a signal, but rather test whether the behavior can be replicated in captivity. Option D is not necessarily true, as only option B directly addresses the question of whether the behavior is in response to a signal.

Question 8

A pied kingfisher in its first year of life helps in the feeding of three full siblings who would not have made it without the helper's efforts.In this first year the bird does not raise any of its own offspring.In the second year of its life the pied kingfisher mates and raises two of its own offspring.After the first two years what is the inclusive fitness of the pied kingfisher?
A)0)75
B)1)50
C)2)50
D)3)00
E)None of the above is correct.

Accepted Answer

The inclusive fitness of an individual is the sum of its direct fitness (offspring produced) and indirect fitness (offspring helped to survive and reproduce). In this scenario, in the first year, the pied kingfisher helped to feed and ensure the survival of three full siblings, which contributes to its indirect fitness. In the second year, it raised two of its own offspring, contributing to its direct fitness. Therefore, its inclusive fitness would be the sum of these two components: indirect fitness (3) + direct fitness (2) = 5. Dividing this by the average number of offspring that would survive without any help (2.0) gives us an inclusive fitness of 2.50.

Question 9

Figure 51.2 
-In Figure 51.2,do the data support the hypothesis that females need spring-like light conditions to produce mature follicles?
A)yes
B)no

Accepted Answer

The data in Figure 51.2 shows that there is a higher proportion of mature follicles in females exposed to spring-like light conditions compared to those exposed to winter-like conditions. This supports the hypothesis that females need spring-like light conditions to produce mature follicles. Therefore, the best choice is A) yes.

Question 10

How would you classify the genetic basis for most behavioral traits in the animal kingdom?
A)One gene typically codes for one behavior.
B)One gene typically codes for many behaviors.
C)Many genes typically code for one behavior.
D)Behaviors are learned,not coded by genes.

Accepted Answer

Most behavioral traits in the animal kingdom are controlled by multiple genes. For example, aggression in mice is determined by multiple genes that regulate the expression of neurotransmitters and hormones. Similarly, the circadian rhythm is regulated by multiple clock genes in animals, including humans. Therefore, choice C, "Many genes typically code for one behavior," is the best answer.

Question 11

Recent research has shown that von Frisch was not completely correct about the difference between the round dance and waggle dance.The new information suggests that _____.
A)the waggle dance communicates information about the quality of the food
B)the round dance communicates direction as well as distance
C)the waggle dance communicates the type of food
D)the round dance communicates the time of day the food will be available
E)the waggle dance communicates the favored food of the hive

Accepted Answer

Recent research has found that the round dance can communicate both distance and direction to the location of nectar or pollen sources, which was previously thought to only be communicated through the waggle dance. Therefore, option B is the correct answer. The other options are not supported by the recent research.

Question 12

The behavioral response associated with the escape behavior of kangaroo rats is an example of a _____.
A)behavior that is modified through learning
B)highly flexible,condition-dependent behavior
C)sign stimulus
D)fixed action pattern
E)behavior that is modified through learning and a highly flexible,condition-dependent behavior

Accepted Answer

The escape behavior of kangaroo rats is an example of a fixed action pattern, which is an instinctive behavioral sequence that is relatively invariant and triggered by specific stimuli.

Question 13

You observe scrub jays hiding food and notice that one particular individual only pretends to hide food.Your experiments associate the presence of other siblings with the frequency of pretending to cache food.A colleague shows you animals of the same species that do not perform this pretend caching.How does this information affect your conclusions about this behavior?
A)It suggests that this behavior might be learned.
B)It prevents you from making conclusions.
C)It suggests that your experimental design is flawed.
D)It does not affect anything.

Accepted Answer

The observation of animals of the same species not performing the pretend caching behavior suggests that the behavior may be learned rather than innate. This means that the behavior could be socially transmitted and not just the result of genetic factors or individual learning. Therefore, the information affects the conclusions by offering an alternative explanation for the behavior.

Question 14

What is the primary mode of communication used by humpback whales?
A)the visual mode,because males display to females visually during complex courtship interactions
B)the auditory mode,because long-distance communication is important,and sound travels much further than light in aquatic environments
C)the olfactory mode,because in an aquatic medium chemicals diffuse rapidly and are easy to localize
D)the tactile mode,because males must touch the female with their flippers during courtship

Accepted Answer

The answer of What is the primary mode of communication...

Question 15

How could you test whether male dewlaps (a colorful flap of skin hanging from an anole lizard's throat)were an important cue for female egg production?
A)Remove dewlaps from females and measure corresponding egg production.
B)Relate size of male dewlap to female dewlap.
C)Remove dewlaps from courting males and measure corresponding female egg production.
D)All of the above answers apply.

Accepted Answer

Removing dewlaps from females would not necessarily provide evidence about the importance of male dewlaps in cueing female egg production. Relating male dewlap size to female dewlap size would not provide evidence about the relationship between male dewlaps and female egg production. However, removing dewlaps from courting males would allow for a direct test of whether male dewlaps are important in cueing female egg production, as it would allow us to see if female egg production decreases when males are lacking their dewlaps during courtship.

Question 16

Based on your knowledge of cost-benefit analysis,why would you expect some white-fronted bee-eaters to fly very far away from the nests to forage when there are food sources nearby?
A)There might be some plentiful food sources further away.
B)Competition for food is too intense near the nest.
C)Food near the nest is usually of lower quality.
D)Predation is highest closest to the nest.

Accepted Answer

Cost-benefit analysis involves weighing the costs and benefits of a behavior or action. In this case, flying far away from the nest to forage may have a higher benefit despite the cost of the energy expended for the flight. This could be because there are plentiful food sources further away that could provide more nutrition or higher quality food. Thus, choice A is the best option. Choices B, C, and D are not supported by the information given and are therefore not the best choice.

Question 17

In the last phase of migration,birds seem to be using _____ to determine their final destination.
A)landmarks
B)the magnetic field of the Earth
C)olfactory cues
D)the arc of the Sun
E)temperature cues

Accepted Answer

Birds often use landmarks as visual cues to navigate and determine their final destination during the last phase of migration.

Question 18

If you ask a question about behavior that concerns how it works,or what its mechanism is,you are asking a question that involves _____.
A)ultimate causation
B)proximate causation
C)adaptive significance
D)survival value
E)the neurological,hormonal,and skeletal-muscular level of analysis

Accepted Answer

The answer of If you ask a question about behavior...

Question 19

Figure 51.2 
-In Figure 51.2,which of the following conclusions is most logical based on the data?
A)Females produce more eggs more quickly when exposed to breeding males.
B)Females produce eggs more quickly when exposed to many males than females paired with a male.
C)All non-isolated females do just as well as isolated females.
D)All of the above answers apply.

Accepted Answer

The conclusion that females produce more eggs more quickly when exposed to breeding males is most logical, as it directly relates to the influence of male presence on female egg production.

Question 20

A pied kingfisher in its first year of life helps in the feeding of three full siblings who would not have made it without the helper's efforts.What is its indirect fitness in its first year?
A)0)25
B)0)50
C)0)75
D)1)00
E)1)50

Accepted Answer

The answer of A pied kingfisher in its first year...

Quiz 51: Behavioral Ecology

You have captured a number of rats from a wild population and quickly surmise with tests that they are very good at avoiding food with poisons.What would best explain this observation?

In the second year of its life a pied kingfisher mates and raises two of its own offspring.What is its direct fitness in this second year of its life?

Learning has the most influence on behavior when _____.

If you ask a question about behavior that concerns how it works,or what its mechanism is,you are asking a question that involves _____.

You observe a species of bird that,upon hatching,has contact with its parents only while being fed.You also never hear the parents sing during the feeding process.What would you propose about song learning in this species of bird?

You observe scrub jays hiding food and notice that one particular individual only pretends to hide food.What kind of experiment could you perform to test whether this behavior was random or in response to another signal?

Figure 51.2 -In Figure 51.2,do the data support the hypothesis that females need spring-like light conditions to produce mature follicles?

How would you classify the genetic basis for most behavioral traits in the animal kingdom?

Recent research has shown that von Frisch was not completely correct about the difference between the round dance and waggle dance.The new information suggests that _____.

The behavioral response associated with the escape behavior of kangaroo rats is an example of a _____.

What is the primary mode of communication used by humpback whales?

How could you test whether male dewlaps (a colorful flap of skin hanging from an anole lizard's throat) were an important cue for female egg production?

Based on your knowledge of cost-benefit analysis,why would you expect some white-fronted bee-eaters to fly very far away from the nests to forage when there are food sources nearby?

In the last phase of migration,birds seem to be using _____ to determine their final destination.

If you ask a question about behavior that concerns how it works,or what its mechanism is,you are asking a question that involves _____.

Figure 51.2 -In Figure 51.2,which of the following conclusions is most logical based on the data?

A pied kingfisher in its first year of life helps in the feeding of three full siblings who would not have made it without the helper's efforts.What is its indirect fitness in its first year?