Download c. Study of animal cognition

6/18/2015 9:11:00 AM
Ethology Worksheet
1) Behavioral ecology is the
a. Study of the behavior of animals, focusing on stimulus and response
b. Application of human emotions and thoughts to other animals
c. Study of animal cognition
d. Study of animal behavior fro an evolutionary perspective of fitness
e. Behavioral study of ecology
2) Proximate causes
a. Explain the evolutionary significance of a behavior
b. Are immediate causes of behavior such as environmental stimuli
c. Are environmental, whereas ultimate causes are genetic
d. Are endogenous, although they may be set by exogenous cues
e. Show that nature is more important than nurture
3) What is the behavior called that maximizes an animal’s energy intake-to-expenditure ratio?
a. Optimal foraging
b. Hamilton’s rule
c. A fixed action pattern
d. Cognition
e. Learning
4) Which of the following is an example of a fixed-action pattern?
a. A crane in a captive-breeding program imprinting on its human caregiver
b. A goose rolling an egg back toward its nest with its head and beak
c. A blackcap migrating to its winter territory
d. A songbird learning its song after listening to a taped song of its species
e. A digger wasp returning to its nest using landmarks
5) A kinesis
a. Is a random directed movement that is not caused by external stimuli
b. Is a movement that is directed toward or away from a stimulus
c. Is a change in activity in response to a stimulus
d. Is illustrated by trout swimming upstream
e. May involve landmarks but not cognitive maps
6) A sensitive period
a. Is the time right after birth
b. Usually follows the receiving of a sign stimulus
c. Is a limited time in which imprinting can occur
d. Is the period during which birds can learn to fly
e. Is the time during which mate selection occurs
7) In operant conditioning,
a. An animal improves its performance of a fixed-action pattern
b. An animal learns as a result of trial and error
c. Sensitivity to unimportant or repetitive stimuli decreases
d. A bird can learn the song of a related species if it hears only that song
e. An irrelevant stimulus can elicit a response because of its association with a normal stimulus
8) Which type of intra-species communication signal would be best suited for a nocturnal species
such as an owl?
Auditory
Visual
Chemical
Tactile
Electrical
9) A female bird would most likely increase her fitness by
a. Mating with as many males as possible
b. Being polygynous
c. Reproducing only once in her lifetime
d. Choosing a mate based on evidence that he has “good genes”
e. Always foraging in a large flock
10) Which of the following examples of behavior provide evidence of animal cognition?
a. Chimpanzee stacking boxes to reach a banana
b. Ravens pulling up string to obtain attached food item
c. Trained honeybees that can match colors or patterns, indicating their concept of “same” and
“different”
d. Chimpanzee learning to crack palm nuts with stones by watching others
e. All of the above show evidence of information processing and animal cognition
11) In a species in which female provide all the needed food and protection for the young,
a. Males are likely t be promiscuous
b. Mating systems are likely to be monogamous
c. Mating systems are likely to be polyandrous
d. Females will bond in social groups
e. Females will have a higher fitness than males
12) A crow that aids its parents in raising siblings is increasing its
a. Reproductive success
b. Altruistic behavior
c. Inclusive fitness
d. Coefficient relatedness
e. Certainty of paternity
13) Sociobiology
a. Explores the evolutionary basis of behavioral characteristics
b. Applies evolutionary explanations to human social behaviors
c. Studies the roles of culture and genetics in human social behavior
d. Considers communication, mating system, and altruism from the viewpoint of fitness
e. Does all of the above
14) According to the concept of kin selection,
a. An animal would be more likely to aid a stranger if the “kindness” could be reciprocated
b. An animal would aid its parent before it would help its sibling
c. Animals are more likely to choose close relatives as mates
d. Examples of altruism usually involve close relatives and increase an animal’s inclusive fitness
e. Evolution is the ultimate cause of social behavior
15) According to Hamilton’s rule, natural selection would favor altruistic acts when
a. The probability that the altruist will lose its life is less than 0.5 and the coefficient of
relatedness is greater than 0.25 (rC = B)
b. The cost of the altruist times the coefficient of relatedness is less than the benefit to the
receiver (rC < B)
c. The benefit to the receiver times the coefficient of relatedness is greater than the cost of the
altruist (rB > C)
d. The cost to the receiver times the coefficient of relatedness is greater than the cost to the
altruist (rC > B)
e. The benefit to the altruist times the coefficient of relatedness is less than the cost to the
receiver (rB < C)